After the resignation of Bernard Laporte and the rejection by the clubs of the candidacy of Philippe Buisson as president-delegate, the Federal Office of the FFR asked the treasurer Alexandre Martinez to ensure the interim at the head of the federation.
The president’s chair of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) will soon no longer be empty. While the resignation of Bernard Laporte following the refusal of the clubs to give their blank check to Philippe Buisson as deputy president caused a power vacuum. It is to fill this void that the Federal Bureau of the FFR met this Wednesday. Confirming the hallway noises of the last few days, it is indeed Alexandre Martinez who will be called upon to take the interim presidency of the FFR in the days to come, in time for the first match of the XV of France in the 6 Nations Tournament, this Sunday in Rome against Italy. The treasurer of the federation, trusted man of Bernard Laporte for six years will however see his appointment confirmed only this Friday, once the Steering Committee has ruled in this direction. The mission of Alexandre Martinez at the head of French rugby will take place in a time already counted.
French Rugby Federation: Alexandre Martinez will take over as interim president https://t.co/xoAXUKlci4 pic.twitter.com/VSIALLH4M3
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Martinez will have to prepare the General Assembly
In effect, the former president of the Lavaur amateur club will have to prepare for the next FFR Congress, scheduled for next June in Lille, an event during which a General Assembly will be held. It is on this occasion that all the clubs will have to decide to elect a new president of the federation who will ensure the end of the mandate initially devolved to Bernard Laporte and which will end in December 2024. It will also be this General Assembly which will have the task of replacing the nine representatives of the Ovale Ensemble list who, in protest against the attitude of those close to Bernard Laporte, have resigned from their position within the Federal Office. The question will be who close to the former president of the FFR will run for this coveted position, but also whether Alexandre Martinez will not be tempted to continue his momentum after these few months at the top of French rugby.