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Laporte and Altrad taken into police custody - reports

22 Sep 2020

(Photo by Alain Jocard/AFP via Getty Images)

Ten days before seeking re-election as the main powerbroker in France rugby, Bernard Laporte was taken into custody on Tuesday morning in Paris to answer questions in the investigation into his links with the Altrad group.

According to rugbyrama.fr, the boss of the group, Mohed Altrad, owner of the Montpellier club and sponsor of the France national team, was also placed in police custody by the financial police, just like Claude Atcher, the boss of the World Cup 2023, and two senior officials of the federation, Serge Simon and Nicolas Hourquet.

It is alleged that Laporte is particularly suspected of having favoured Montpellier when intervening with the FFR’s appeal committee to reduce sanctions against the club at the end of June 2017.

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Laporte, the 56-year-old boss of French rugby, arrived on Tuesday morning at the premises of the Brigade for the Repression of Economic Delinquency (BRDE) to which the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) had entrusted the investigations in 2017. Simon, the vice-president of the FFR, also presented himself to the BRDE.

The former coach France (2000-2007) who went on to become Secretary of State for Sports under Nicolas Sarkozy (2007-2009), Laporte has always defended himself from any intervention in favour of Montpellier, even if he admitted to having telephoned the chairman of the commission, Jean-Daniel Simonet.

Laporte, Atcher, Altrad, Simon et Hourquet ont été placés en garde à vue.https://t.co/nWmo8Ef1Ix
— RUGBYRAMA (@RugbyramaFR) September 22, 2020

Ministry of Sports investigators have also established in a report sent to justice that the decisions of the commission were allegedly modified between June 29 and 30, 2017. Initially, the appeal commission would have decided to confirm the sanctions announced by the League (LNR), a €70,000 fine and a closed-door match, before moving to a €20,000 fine and a stay of execution on the closed-door match.

Three months earlier, the Altrad group, who specialise in building materials, had become the first jersey sponsor of the France XV before supporting the French candidacy in the bid to host the 2023 World Cup. The police already heard from several protagonists in 2019, in particular the three members of the FFR appeal commission who were to judge the case on June 29, 2017.

Against a backdrop of strong tensions between the LNR and the FFR, the affair spoiled Laporte’s mandate as FFR president and it now threatens to derail his re-election campaign where he is running against Florian Grill. Laporte’s lawyer Jean-Pierre Versini-Campinchi on Monday denounced the timing of his detention so close to the election.

Bernie is set to be grilled. https://t.co/2FmCUvC0Wy
— RugbyPass (@RugbyPass) September 21, 2020

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YeowNotEven 1 hour ago

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Would have been awesome to have a Bledisloe ANZAC game.

It would suck if they had it in Perth every year though. Gotta get it to Eden park.

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Spew_81 1 hour ago

Hurricanes vs Waratahs takes: The yellow wall in midfield, Tahs backs outshined

Love should get some time at 10. He’s clearly got the ability to be a second playmaker, but primarily at 15. Some time at 10, even just standing at first receiver, will only help his playmaking skills. He set up two tries with good distribution.

He kicks goals well. He could be a second B Barrett. But keep his main position at 15.

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SG 1 hour ago

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England have absolutely no need for him. Tom Willis and Ben Earl are better with a much higher work rate.

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JW 2 hours ago

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No full games on the IRU YT channel unfortunately, all on subscription? Looks a fairly good level (1A).

Yes I mean I wouldn’t really know the local ratio of origin here, but certainly as a province with less resources mine has a ratio that veers heavily towards club rep. The club stories are often the best so get probably an imbalanced proportion of coverage to where most players actually come from though.

Those were a couple of Ulster (regional) clubs too, good good. Those clubs/size towns are very much where you find most talent coming from (compared to the big city), so your productivity depends very much on your systems in place for scouting talent. With the more wealthy and popular sport of NRL (hence more info out there) I’ve seen some interesting studies on player origins in this respect, which I think would be a very balanced base of data to draw conclusions from.

Yes I’m wondering how those names as examples compare to the likes of Bryne getting squeezed out for a lack of places. I’m only thinking of effects far down the line as a result of Irelands #1 ranking and increased publicity/interest and how Irelands system will take advantage of them.

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GP 2 hours ago

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Regarding the Crusaders side . Great to see promising young lock Jamie Hannah back in the starting team. He has certainly been through the mill since debuting for the Crusaders, even before playing for Canterbury. All his hard work has paid off. Antonio Shalfoon , who has been rested for this match has been amazing locking with AB captain Scott Barrett. I really rate Jamie Hannah as one of the best young locks of which there are a few coming through. Including his Canterbury and Crusaders team mate Liam Jack. Father is Graham Jack ,he played for Canterbury and the Crusaders in the 1990’s. Older brother of Chris, who of course was an All Black.

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Andrew Nichols 2 hours ago

All Black's England switch hanging by a thread

Gloucester are in the market for a top-class replacement ..Well why would they then be talking to HS?

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Utiku Old Boy 2 hours ago

All Black's England switch hanging by a thread

I include Cunningham-South. He was born in England but moved to NZ at 4 yrs and learnt his rugby there. His dad was a schoolboy coach. In recent years, Teimana Harrison was - as was Brad Shields.

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GB 2 hours ago

All Black's England switch hanging by a thread

Cunningham-South was born in the UK but raised in NZ.

Makes a good point, wouldn't walk into the English set up.

Better to roll his sleeves up and play himself into the ABs

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Spew_81 2 hours ago

Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

Not sure what the ethical issue is. If it’s going for the money, it’s either do that or NZ rugby slowly dies as all the better players leave. So it’s the more lesser of two evils. Sell out a bit more as a Union, or the players sell out one by one.

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Spew_81 2 hours ago

Rugby down under could have hit high gear with Anzac Tests

Yes, the team was similar. But the two locks made a huge difference. Kaino wasn’t a lock and Tuipolutu has only very recently started playing close to his potential (his work rate was terrible until recently).

The Irish lineout maul wouldn’t have been the weapon it was on that day if Hansen started Whitelock and Retallick (or even two proper locks). Though they wouldn’t have been guaranteed to win.

Doing the new haka when the Irish were mourning a great of theirs didn’t help. The action at the end of that haka has been interpreted negatively and some see it as a but disrespectful.

Still if the All Blacks did their normal haka they wouldn’t have been guaranteed to win.

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Koro Teeps 2 hours ago

All Black's England switch hanging by a thread

Absolutely no certainty he would make the current English squad. He’s not in the All Black conversation either. Physical, explosive player with ball in hand but sometimes struggles to impose himself fully on all aspects of the game.

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DC 3 hours ago

All Black's England switch hanging by a thread

Who are the Kiwis (plural)? The only one I can think of is Ethan Root.

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JE 5 hours ago

'Matches between Les Bleus and the All Blacks are rarely for the faint-hearted.'

Well, at least France do not have to supply players to the Lions. On the other hand, apart from England going to Argentina, Ireland’s, Scotland’s and Wales’ tours are less challenging than France’s. I wonder what SA are doing this Summer?!

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Utiku Old Boy 5 hours ago

All Black's England switch hanging by a thread

English loose forward stocks are pretty healthy currently and already feature a kiwi or two. A move to the UK would have to be for the Premiership on its own merits - with no better odds for international honors - and would close the door on any further possible AB future. Increased work rate, motivation, energy combined with his obvious skills could see him back in contention in NZ but it is not going to be handed to him.

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