Pressure is mounting on the suspended World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte to cut all administrative ties with the sport with immediate effect following his conviction for corruption. Laporte has signalled his intention to appeal against his two‑year suspended prison sentence and remains president of the French Rugby Federation.
The scandal – in which Mohed Altrad, the Montpellier owner, also received a suspended 18‑month sentence and fine – has already prompted Laporte to step aside from his World Rugby role just nine months before the 2023 World Cup which France is hosting.
