Bernard Laporte, the man in charge of the French Rugby Federation, appeared in court Wednesday charged with corruption and influence-peddling – just a year out from the French-hosted Rugby World Cup.
The 58-year-old Laporte is accused of favouritism in awarding a shirt sponsor contract for the national side to a close friend, co-defendant Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Top 14 champions Montpellier.
A former secretary of state for sport, Laporte is a strongman in the rugby world, also having worked as a coach and commentator.
During his trial, which is being heard in the Paris Criminal Court from 7-22 September, Laporte will have to explain his personal and business connections with Altered.
String of accusations
In addition to using his influence to ensure Altrad’s company became the French team’s sponsor in 2018, Laporte is accused of pressuring an appeals committee – of which he was president – to reduce a disciplinary fine given the Montpellier club in 2017.
This was allegedly done while he held a secret, lucrative contract selling his image reproduction rights to Montpellier.
While some 180,000 euros was paid to Laporte, prosecutors claim that he never actually provided the services he signed up for.
He did, however, make several public statements backing Altrad and, in March 2017, signed a 1.8-million-euro deal with the businessman making his firm the first-ever sponsor to appear on the French national team's jerseys.
Even now, Altrad's logo features on team's shirts thanks to a follow-up deal negotiated by Laporte in 2018 and which prosecutors say bears all the hallmarks of corruption.
Laporte’s lawyers deny the accusations, which they say are “completely trumped-up”, arguing that everything Laporte did was “in the best interest of the federation”.
Other officials facing trial include Claude Atcher, the recently suspended managing director of the 2023 World Cup organisation, and FFR vice-president Serge Simon.
