Two former French internationals are suspected of ticket trafficking for the next Rugby World Cup, scheduled for autumn 2023. Among them, Sébastien Chabal is suspected of having acquired a hundred places for the next World Cup which will take place in France . He denied the charges on Saturday January 7.
According to information from Parisianconfirmed by a source close to the investigation, the former third line (45 years old, 62 selections between 2000 and 2011), ambassador of the competition, was able to buy a hundred tickets, thus circumventing the rules of sale limiting to eight the number of places per employee of the organizing committee. “Questions arise about the hypothesis of ticket trafficking, but nothing is established at this stage”underlines the source close to the investigation to AFP.
Also suspected of similar facts: the former rugby player Henri Mioch, project manager for the organization of the World Cup between 2017 and 2020. He allegedly bought some 600 tickets, added the same source.
PNF investigation
“Yes, I had privileged access to buy more tickets than can be done by one person, due to my status as France 2023 Ambassadorreacted Sébastien Chabal in a press release sent to AFP. I didn’t get any freebies or preferential rates. And no, I don’t intend to make a profit on these places. ». The former Lyon or Bourgoin-Jallieu player rejects any accusation of ticket trafficking. “It is obvious that these places cannot be resold by those who will benefit from them. It is just as inconceivable that they can be used for commercial operations. »
These purchases were discovered during searches carried out in November, in particular at the headquarters of the public interest group (GIP) France 2023, responsible for organizing the Rugby World Cup. These searches were held as part of the investigation opened in October by the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) targeting acts of favouritism, influence peddling and corruption, and entrusted to the gendarmes of the Paris research section.
This investigation had been opened following a joint report from the General Inspectorate of Finance and the General Inspectorate of Education aimed at “past deals”, ” Ticketing “ and “vehicles made available” of the former director general of the GIP, Claude Atcher. The latter was definitively dismissed in October because of his managerial practices considered brutal.
