“All united behind the XV of France”: Patrick Buisson, vice-president in charge of amateur rugby, will run for the presidency of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), he announced Thursday in an interview with AFP where he presented himself as the candidate of “unity” and “rally”. “We have to put aside our differences. I am coming to unite behind the XV of France because it is together that we will win: the division has no place in our Federation, especially a few months before a Coupe du world (September 8-October 28),” he explained.
“We must all unite behind the XV of France to achieve the common goal,” he insisted. “The ‘All united behind the XV of France’ list is a common list of candidates for the FFR’s steering committee, without any political campaign on the ground or favoritism to allow clubs to choose freely”, continued the leader.
80 voices difference
The candidacy of Buisson, a former player in Vienne (Isère), educator then manager in Uzès (Gard), will be submitted to the vote of the clubs in two stages, first on May 24 to replace the vacant positions on the FFR steering committee, then on June 12 for the election of the new president of the FFR. The name of the new boss of French rugby will be known on June 14.
No other candidate has yet officially declared himself. The deadline for applications is April 24. At the end of January, Bernard Laporte, elected for a second term in 2020, resigned after appealing his two-year suspended prison sentence for having entered into a “corruption pact” with the businessman and club president. of Montpellier Mohed Altrad.
A referendum had been organized to designate Patrick Buisson as president-delegate of the FFR. The “no” then won 51.06% during this consultation open to some 1,500 French clubs after the withdrawal of Laporte, who appealed his conviction. “The clubs rejected the ethics committee’s proposal for a retired chairman and the appointment of a deputy chairman. The vote took place in exceptional circumstances: there was a very big hype against the majority, custody of Bernard Laporte that occurred in the middle of the ballot… And with everything that happened, the + no + won by a narrow majority, with a difference of only 80 votes. It’s less than ten clubs”, nuanced Buisson.
“Become World Champion”
But the former scrum half learned from this setback and therefore refuses to lead a “political campaign” four months before the opening match of the 2023 World Cup between the Blues and the All Blacks. “We are not going to bother the clubs. It’s the end of the season: some clubs are playing for maintenance, others are for membership… The clubs are a little fed up with politics”, explained Buisson.
“What matters most to me is talking with the clubs, setting up initiatives to develop amateur rugby by talking and listening to the clubs (…) It’s something that interests me. and concerns me a lot. Our DNA at the Federation is to exchange, share. It is with what the clubs offer us that we make the Federation evolve. Then, we have to work hand in hand with the XV of France to become world champion and prepare the teams at VII to become Olympic champions in 2024”, he continued.
In his quest, he was recently joined by two internationals: the former captain of the Blues Guilhem Guirado (74 selections between 2008 and 2019) and the former second line of the Blues Safi N’Diaye (91 selections between 2012 and 2022) .