While French rugby is currently going through a dark period, disturbed by business and legal cases, none of its players will have seen its image deteriorate as much as Bernard Laporte.
The president of the FFR, who withdrew after his conviction at first instance for corruption and influence peddling at first instance in mid-December (pending his appeal trial), is no longer supported by the French, based on an Odoxa sports barometer produced for Winamax and RTL.
Read alsoCorruption in rugby: Bernard Laporte sentenced to two years in prison, suspended
According to this study, carried out on a sample of 1005 people, 53% of French people and 76% of rugby fans have heard of Laporte's conviction.
They are thus 73% to estimate that the case damages the image of rugby.
This pushes 68% of them to want the former coach of the XV of France to leave the presidency of the FFR… the same total as for Noël Le Graët, his football counterpart.
Rugby fans even more adamant
Laporte's unpopularity is even greater with rugby fans, who want him to leave at 77%.
Overall, the interventionism in this file of the Minister of Sports Amélie Oudéa-Castéra, who had not hesitated to ask for the departure of the leader, was widely welcomed: 68% of the population considers that she "is right, the Ministry of Sports must be able to intervene in the internal life of the federations”.
Read also“The image of the FFR is more degraded than ever”… Opponents of Bernard Laporte give voice
As a reminder, Laporte was given a two-year suspended prison sentence, a two-year ban on exercising any function related to rugby on December 13 for "passive corruption", "influence peddling", "illegal taking of interests", "concealment of misuse of corporate assets" and "misuse of corporate assets".
The time of his call, he appointed as delegate president Patrick Buisson, whose retention must be decided by referendum with the clubs affiliated with the FFR, from Monday.