Rugby: the clubs say no to Patrick Buisson, the candidate of Bernard Laporte


The designation of Patrick Buisson, vice-president in charge of amateur rugby and replacement designated by Bernard Laporte at the head of the FFR, was rejected by a majority of amateur clubs. Ten days before the opening of the Six Nations Tournament and seven months from the 2023 World Cup in France (September 8-October 28), it is a setback for the now weakened Laporte camp: the some 1,500 clubs, which participated at 90.46% in this consultation spread over three days, said no to Buisson at 51.06%.

The steering committee of the governing body of French rugby will meet Friday at the CNR of Marcoussis, in the presence of the Minister of Sports, Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, “to decide on the follow-up to be given” to this vote, indicated the FFR.

What next for the presidency of the FFR?

The following ? There are two possibilities: either Bernard Laporte proposes a new candidate for the post of deputy president – thus leading to a new referendum – or new federal elections are organized within six weeks. “The clubs have mobilized, the vote is very representative and the no wins despite the proximity of the World Cup”, explained to AFP Florian Grill, main opponent of the current management of the FFR.

“It’s not a defeat for Patrick Buisson or a victory for Ovale Ensemble. It’s a message that says the clubs want to turn the page (…) It is up to the management committee to be responsible by organizing general elections. This is the request of the clubs. Let’s have quick elections, bring rugby together and bring it together to succeed in a major challenge and preserve our French team”, added the president of the Ile-de-France League, who will be a candidate in the event of new elections.

“The steering committee just has to be respectful of the word of the clubs and have a sense of responsibility. We have to preserve the World Cup and not get bogged down in an infinite proposal of candidates which would be dangerous for rugby. “, added Florian Grill.

“Rapidly stabilize clear and legitimate governance”, wishes the Minister of Sports

At 67, Buisson wanted to “embody the end of business”. This former scrum half, in charge of amateur rugby at the Federation, obviously did not convince his troops. “I take note of this result and will go tomorrow morning (Friday, editor’s note) to the headquarters of the Federation for the opening of the meeting of the steering committee, in order to assess the consequences with all of its members. their committee during the morning with the responsibility of deciding on the follow-up to be given to this engaging democratic expression”, explained Oudéa-Castéra in a press release.

“I have confidence in the fact that these exchanges will make it possible to find a way to quickly stabilize clear and legitimate governance, while continuing to prepare effectively and serenely, both sportingly and organizationally, for the 2023 World Cup and our country has the honor of hosting”, added the Minister.

A questioned date

President of the FFR since December 2016, Bernard Laporte was given a two-year suspended prison sentence on December 13 for having entered into a “corruption pact” with the businessman and president of the Montpellier club Mohed Altrad. Having appealed the decision, his sentence, accompanied by a ban on exercising his activity as president of the FFR, is not immediately enforceable.

The former coach of the Blues refuses as such to resign but accepted, under the joint pressure of the Minister of Sports, the National Rugby League (LNR) and the ethics committee of the FFR to withdraw behind a delegated president until the appeal trial, which should only take place after the 2023 World Cup. Laporte was placed in police custody for a few hours on Tuesday, the day after the opening of the vote, in a case of laundering tax evasion aggravated but emerged free without prosecution at this stage.

“It is perfectly scandalous that the prosecution chose the date of the election of Mr. Patrick Buisson to fix that of the hearing and that the disclosure of this hearing was made the same day”, had then launched one lawyers for Laporte, Me Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi, lambasting with AFP “a relentlessness of the PNF”.



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