A few days before the deadline, he is the first to declare himself. Patrick Buisson, vice-president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) in charge of the amateur world, announced Thursday, April 20 in an interview with Agence France-Presse (AFP), to be a candidate for the succession of Bernard Laporte. Mr. Buisson is, to date, the only applicant; any other contenders for the presidency of the FFR have until Monday, April 24 to make themselves known.
The FFR is currently headed by an interim president, Alexandre Martinez, previously treasurer of the body. Mr. Martinez took over from Bernard Laporte at the beginning of February. The latter had resigned after a period of “withdrawal” following his conviction, at the end of 2022, to a two-year suspended prison sentence for having entered into a “corruption pact” with the businessman and president of the Montpellier club. Mohed Altrad. Mr. Laporte has appealed and will be retried on a date unknown to date.
Blanco leaves the opposition
For Patrick Buisson, 65, it will be a return to the polls. In January, Bernard Laporte had proposed his name as delegate president of the FFR for the time of his “withdrawal”. But the approximately 1,500 French clubs which then participated in this referendum had voted no by 51.06%. “The vote took place in exceptional circumstances: there was a very big media hype against the majority [en place à la tête de la FFR], custody of Bernard Laporte occurred in the middle of the ballot… And with everything that happened, the no won by a narrow majority. There were only 80 votes difference. It’s less than ten clubs”nuance Mr. Buisson in his interview with AFP.
A few months before the World Cup in France (September 8-October 28), the vice-president of the FFR now presents himself as the candidate of “unity” and ” gathering “ and call to be “all united behind the XV of France”, the name given to his list. This will be submitted to the vote of the clubs in two stages, first on May 24 to replace on the FFR steering committee the positions that have become vacant after the resignation of several members who then demanded the resignation of Bernard Laporte. The election of the new president of the FFR will take place on June 12 and the name of the new boss of French rugby will be known on June 14.
“Ovale ensemble”, the current majority opposition to the FFR, will also present candidates in the May 24 ballot. If several defections have been recorded in recent days in its ranks, in particular that of former player Serge Blanco, it should announce its list on Saturday, two days before the closing of applications.
