It is a letter signed by the hand of the president of the French rugby federation (FFR), Bernard Laporte.
Addressed to the Minister of Sports, to the members of the ethics and professional conduct committees of the FFR, it was made public on Friday afternoon and serves as the official communication of the body, meeting in the federal office in the morning.
The text on three pages details the way in which the withdrawal and replacement of the boss of French rugby will be carried out, sentenced to two years in prison, suspended sentence, 75,000 euros fine and a ban on exercising any function in rugby for two years but who appealed the court judgment.
A new stage in the process, validated under conditions the day before by the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.
A delegate president proposed by Bernard Laporte
This is a point addressed at the very end of this letter.
Forced by order of the ethics committee to withdraw after his conviction, the former coach of the Blues will choose his own interim pending, at least, his appeal trial, the date of which is still unknown but which does not will not be held before the start of the Rugby World Cup (8 September - 28 October) in 2023.
"On January 6, I will bring together the Federal Bureau to formally propose the first choice of the President-delegate and thus launch the consultative operations", writes the one who affirms that his "sole ambition is to serve French rugby.
Three men seem to stand out today: his friend and number 2 of the federation, Serge Simon, the general secretary Christian Dullin or the vice-president in charge of amateur rugby, Patrick Buisson.
A referendum to be held in January
Passed the stage of the proposal, will come that of the vote.
Finally, rather of the referendum in this case.
The clubs will vote by electronic ballot, supervised by a bailiff, at the latest during the third week of January, that is from January 23 to 27. This date of January 27 is precisely that of the steering committee where the deputy president would take office.
The referendum will offer clubs three choices: "yes", "no", "abstention".
The elected official will only be able to wear the clothes of the interim president in the event of validation by simple majority, which means that it simply takes more positive responses than negative ones, and that those who abstain are not taken into account.
And if the "no" wins, precisely?
"I will submit a new proposal to a new consultation, until the clubs will legitimize the majority of this Deputy President", explains Bernard Laporte.
Not really enough, for his opponents, to be able to place one of their own at the head of the FFR.
The withdrawal conditions to be respected
In his letter, the ex-coach of the Blues, Stade Français and Toulon also lists, more precisely than in the federal press release on Monday, the things prohibited once his withdrawal is effective.
Bernard Laporte will not be able to participate in "all the decision-making bodies of the French rugby federation (steering committee and federal office in particular), nor sit on the board of directors of GIP France 2023", in charge of the organization of the World.
He will be replaced by the Deputy Chairman.
Also finished signing anything in the name of the FFR, which he will no longer be able to officially represent in public meetings.
He would also lose the right to be the spokesperson for the institution.