Europe 1 with AFP / Photo credit: Anne-Christine POUJOULAT / AFP 17:07 pm, June 14, 2023

A few hours after his election as head of the French Rugby Federation, the new president Florian Grill said he wanted to "bring together French rugby". "Very happy" to have been chosen to replace Bernard Laporte, the new president also intends to "appease" the current tensions that revolve around rugby.

Three months before the Rugby World Cup in France, which will take place from September 8 to October 28, "we must bring rugby together and appease it," said Florian Grill, just elected president of the French Rugby Federation replacing Bernard Laporte.

Interviewer: How do you feel after this result?

Florian Grill: "I am very happy with the turnout, which would make all politicians dream, and the score (58.14%). But I don't take it for myself, I take it for four and a half years of work by the Ovale Ensemble team, with its 500 members, its fifteen working groups... We made a second federation live for four years by being in contact with the clubs, by being on the ground all the time, alongside the volunteers. And that's what pays off. It's a rarely seen score, but now there's work to be done. We must bring rugby together, appease it too, less than 90 days before the World Cup. I must admit that I am satisfied with Patrick Buisson's statement that he would not block the system."

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Interviewer: So you are renewing your outstretched hand to your opponent to manage the World Cup?

Florian Grill: "I think we have an obligation in front of rugby, in front of the country: we are three months away from a World Cup, we must come together. Rugby has been too politicized. We need to come together and I'm sure there are more things that bring us together than divide us. Rugby has to be around the table and no one would understand why it would be otherwise on the eve of the World Cup. The magnitude of the score does not change anything, I confirm my outstretched hand. It can be Patrick Buisson, Alexandre Martinez... people of good will with whom we can work. In this governance, there are people who want to build the rugby of tomorrow and we will be able to work with them without problem."

Interviewer: What will be your first step?

Florian Grill: "We must immediately work to find proximity in the big leagues: we will work with the regional leagues, whose resources I want to considerably strengthen, and the departmental committees, to redraw the leagues. We will flatten the reform of mileage allowances, create a Regional 4 ... Very concrete things for amateur rugby. Some will not be able to be done next season, it will take time to spend it in general assembly, to vote. But it needs to be done now. There are also huge issues, such as our international representativeness, the Stade de France file with a significant shortfall... I want to make the Federation a federation with a mission with a sporting role but also an educational and citizen role. It involves questions of adapted rugby, health rugby sections, action in priority neighborhoods, job dating... We talk a lot about the values of rugby: I want to nurture them and assume the societal role that is ours. We need rugby, which is a decisive tool for social ties. Sports clubs, rugby in particular, have this ability to create links between people and this is the meaning we must give to our daily action."