French rugby - 2022/23

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TigerFeetSteve
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by TigerFeetSteve »

https://www.cityam.com/key-laporte-altr ... -of-chaos/

Big court decision for world rugby tomorrow
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westwinds31
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by westwinds31 »

Robespierre - a few of us are going to Bordeaux v Clermont in mid February. Any tips on where to go pre match or any other places where the rugby crowd hang out ?
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

TigerFeetSteve wrote: Mon Dec 12, 2022 10:03 pm https://www.cityam.com/key-laporte-altr ... -of-chaos/

Big court decision for world rugby tomorrow

Dramatic news from France, which is terrible timing being only ten months away from hosting Rugby World Cup 2023.

A French court on Tuesday sentenced French Rugby Federation (FFR) president and World Rugby vice-chairman Bernard Laporte to a two-year suspended term for corruption, less than a year before France hosts the World Cup. Both positions must now be untenable and he'll surely be obliged to resign.

Laporte was convicted after the court ruled he showed favouritism in awarding a shirt sponsor contract for the national side to a close friend, Mohed Altrad, the billionaire owner of Top 14 champions Montpellier.

Laporte's lawyer said he would appeal. He was also banned from holding any rugby post for two years but this is suspended pending the appeal.

He is also vice-chairman of the sport's global governing body World Rugby.

The court deemed Laporte ensured a series of marketing decisions favourable to Altrad -- who was given an 18-month suspended sentence -- and he benefited from a 180,000 euro ($191,000) image licensing contract that was never actually carried out.

At the trial's close in September, prosecutors said they were seeking a three-year prison sentence for Laporte, now 58, of which he should serve one behind bars, and the two others on probation.

According to the charges, which his defence said were "trumped up", Laporte carried out illegal influence-peddling and passive corruption, mostly for the benefit of Altrad.

The two men's friendship and business links are at the heart of the case.

It goes back to February 2017 when they signed a deal under which Laporte, head of the FFR, agreed to appear in Altrad group conferences, and sold his image reproduction rights, in return for 180,000 euros.

But while that sum was indeed paid to Laporte, prosecutors claim that he never actually provided the services he signed up for.

Suspect deals
Laporte did, however, make several public statements backing Altrad and, in March 2017, signed a 1.8-million-euro deal with the businessman making his namesake firm the first-ever sponsor to appear on the French national team's jerseys.

Even now, Altrad's logo features on the shirts thanks to a follow-up deal negotiated by Laporte in 2018 and which prosecutors say bears all the hallmarks of corruption.

Laporte, formerly a highly successful coach who guided France twice to the World Cup semi-finals (2003 and 2007), is further accused of intervening with French rugby's federal disciplinary commission.

The commission reduced a fine against an Altrad company to 20,000 euros -- it was originally 70,000 euros -- after a call from Laporte.

While prosecutors see this and several more incidents as proof of illicit favouritism, Laporte himself has claimed there was no "cause-effect relationship".

On the last day of the trial in October, Laporte's lawyer :censored: Colin accused the prosecution of "confirmation bias" by "taking into account only elements backing their original assumptions".

The verdict comes only nine months before the Rugby World Cup kicks off in France on September 8, 2023, with matches played in nine stadiums across the country.
Last edited by Robespierre on Tue Dec 13, 2022 3:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

westwinds31 wrote: Mon Dec 12, 2022 11:21 pm Robespierre - a few of us are going to Bordeaux v Clermont in mid February. Any tips on where to go pre match or any other places where the rugby crowd hang out ?
Afraid not, westwinds! I don't know Bordeaux at all, even though I went to the Tigers' game a year ago, after the match we went to friends of friends in a suburb of the city.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZP6vEX2BLvM It’s been a good year for French rugby, with the France XV on an unbeaten 13-match run, a 2022 Grand Slam, and nicely building to next year’s World Cup. Just hope they haven’t peaked too soon but we’ll see in the forthcoming 6Nations!
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Lutontiger »

I was in Bordeaux for a match in September. The main street approaching the ground was lined with pop-up bars and food outlets - was great, and good atmosphere, so I’d recommend doing that pre-match. If you’ve not yet got your match tickets, buy them soon - they sell out fast.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

Lutontiger wrote: Tue Dec 20, 2022 9:48 pm I was in Bordeaux for a match in September. The main street approaching the ground was lined with pop-up bars and food outlets - was great, and good atmosphere, so I’d recommend doing that pre-match. If you’ve not yet got your match tickets, buy them soon - they sell out fast.
True! I remember that from a year ago for the Tigers’ game.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

Dan Biggar makes his début this evening for Toulon in the Top14 fixture at home against Lyon.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Rugbygramps »

Robespierre wrote: Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:07 am Dan Biggar makes his début this evening for Toulon in the Top14 fixture at home against Lyon.
I think he may have played in their European game Robes. Is this his top14 debut?
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

Rugbygramps wrote: Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:25 am
Robespierre wrote: Thu Dec 22, 2022 9:07 am Dan Biggar makes his début this evening for Toulon in the Top14 fixture at home against Lyon.
I think he may have played in their European game Robes. Is this his top14 debut?
Yes, Top14 début. Was unaware he played against Bath in the Challenge Cup.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

Firstly, Joyeux Noël to you all!

Round 13 of the Top14 has been played and here are the results:

Toulon 21 Lyon 3
Brive 20 Clermont 16 (big win for Brive who are just one point below Perpignan but still in last place and 9 points from 12th placed Castres)
Pau 22 Bayonne 22
La Rochelle 8 Bordeaux/Bègles 12 (Unexpected win for B/B for whom no8 Tom Willis is playing well)
Montpellier 38 Perpignan 10
Racing 10 Stade Français 48 (What a stuffing! Ex Tiger Paolo Odogwu - remember him?, came off the bench and scored the last try for SF. Here's the link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CD0M4GG7Us )
Toulouse 22 Castres 18

1 Toulouse 44
2 SFrançais 37
3 Racing 35
4 Montpellier 34
5 La Rochelle 31
6 Bayonne 30
7 B/B 30
8 Toulon 30
9 Lyon 29
10 Clermont 27
11 Pau 27
12 Castres 26
13 Perpignan 18
14 Brive 17

Round 14 will be played next weekend:

Friday Dec 30th
Bordeaux/Bègles v Montpellier
Saturday Dec 31st
Bayonne v Toulon
Castres v Racing
Lyon v Brive
Perpignan v La Rochelle
S Français v Pau (Pau fly half ex Tiger Zack Henry could play against SF, who he'll join next season)
Sunday Jan 1st
Clermont v Toulouse
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Rugbygramps
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Rugbygramps »

Robes I watched highlights of the Racing v Stade match. What a surprise result have Racing slipped that low or are Stade on the rise or is a little of both.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Robespierre »

Rugbygramps wrote: Mon Dec 26, 2022 8:27 pm Robes I watched highlights of the Racing v Stade match. What a surprise result have Racing slipped that low or are Stade on the rise or is a little of both.
Racing are 3rd in the Top14, so not slipping although their Champions’ Cup adventure is surely over. SF, however, are definitely on the up and may well be in the end of season playoffs.
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Rugbygramps »

SF beat Toulouse with a try last play of the game. Stade really on the up
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Re: French rugby - 2022/23

Post by Scott1 »

Rugbygramps wrote: Fri Dec 30, 2022 7:00 pm SF beat Toulouse with a try last play of the game. Stade really on the up
Wheres that? Can't find any score on BBC Rugby or Flashscore 🤔
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