A defiant Bernard Laporte has refused to resign as President of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) despite being under extreme political pressure to do so.
Last Tuesday, the former coach was convicted of corruption charges and given a two-year suspended sentence and £64,300 fine. The verdict led to calls for him to step down from the Federation's own Ethics Committee and France's Sports Minister.
However, the 58-year-old has continued to insist he's innocent and has vowed to appeal the sanctions. The charges relate to his dealings with Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Top 14 champions Montpellier whose company became the first-ever sponsor to appear on the French national shirts in 2017.