Rugby: "A first awareness of Bernard Laporte", according to the Minister of Sports

Sentenced to a two-year suspended prison sentence for passive bribery and influence peddling, Bernard Laporte, the president of the FFR, who appealed, announced Monday evening "to withdraw temporarily for the time of the final criminal decision. and its willingness to follow the injunction of the Ethics Committee of the FFR to the letter”, according to a press release from the Federal Office of the Federation.

“It is a first awareness but raises several questions”, reacted this Tuesday the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra at the microphone of France 2.

🔴🗣 "His withdrawal is accompanied by what guarantees? The situation prevents him from remaining president"@AOC1978 on the future of Bernard Laporte at the head of @FranceRugby.

#Les4V pic.twitter.com/Rv5SeB2UBC

— Telematin (@telematin) December 20, 2022

Convicted on December 13 of five of the six offenses for which he was prosecuted, including those of passive corruption and influence peddling, Bernard Laporte, in office since the end of 2016 and re-elected in 2020 for a four-year term, is increasingly isolated.

But, as the former coach of the France team and Minister of Sports appealed the decision of the Paris Criminal Court, his suspended prison sentence, as well as the ban on exercising the activity of president of the FFR for a period of two years, are not immediately enforceable.

“Appointing a delegate president also raises a number of questions here, of duration, legitimacy, scope, legal validity and all of this must be looked at,” added Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who is to receive Bernard Laporte on Thursday.

The minister indicated that she would first, this Tuesday afternoon, meet with the president of the ethics committee of the FFR, who had requested the withdrawal of Bernard Laporte.

Less than nine months from the 2023 World Cup organized in France (September 8 - October 28), "the situation prevents him from being the current president of this federation", concluded the minister.