An expected extension.
Thirteen days after coach Fabien Galthié, who announced that he had extended until 2027, it is the turn of general manager Raphaël Ibanez to extend his contract with the Blues until 2028. a confidence: as it works well (with the XV of France), I will extend the adventure because it is the most beautiful and the most intense that one can live, so I signed until June 2028 " , said the former hooker of the Blues at the microphone of Europe 1.
The 49-year-old former Blues hooker (98 caps) has been in post since the fall of 2020 alongside coach Fabien Galthié.
The France team remains on a Grand Slam at the 2022 Six Nations tournament and on a series of 13 successes in a row.
A record.
"It's the greatest adventure when you're passionate about rugby, when you're passionate and committed," he added. "I'm also very happy to know that the profile of the post-2023 staff is draw.
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On January 10, Fabien Galthié announced that the current forwards coach of the French Stade, Laurent Sempéré, would join the staff of the XV of France after the 2023 World Cup which will take place from September 8 to October 28.
Sempéré will take over in this role from Karim Ghezal, who will join the Stade Français at the end of the World Cup, in the company of the current coach of the attack of the Blues, Laurent Labit.
In 12 days, the Blues will start the VI Nations tournament with a trip to Rome.
“Everything we experience with the XV of France, we owe it to Bernard Laporte”
Asked also about the placement in police custody Tuesday of Bernard Laporte in a case of money laundering of aggravated tax fraud, Raphaël Ibanez deplored the "gap" between the "sporting mission" of the Blues and the new legal troubles of the president in withdrawal from the FFR.
“This only sometimes illustrates the discrepancy between our mission which is sporting (…), which is in no way political, and (…) all these movements above the XV of France which are the result of power struggles “, he said.
Bernard Laporte was released from police custody in the evening.
"Our trajectory is clear: we are heading with the team towards the goal of a lifetime
(winning the World Cup in France in the fall, editor's note)
", underlined Ibanez, before adding: " I do not want governance destabilized by elections in the midst of sporting competition or power struggles”.
The approximately 1,500 French rugby clubs have until noon Thursday to vote during a consultation for or against Bernard Laporte's proposal to appoint Patrick Buisson, until then vice-president in charge of amateur rugby, to the post of President-Delegate of the FFR.
“I would not like to rush into a hasty judgment (…) there is an ongoing trial (…)”, further affirmed the manager of the Blues.
But, he concluded, "everything we experience with the XV of France, we owe it to Bernard Laporte, president of the Federation: the World Cup in France, it's him".
