‘Major failures’ in France’s financing of 2023 Rugby World Cup

The “important failures” in the supervision of the French Government of the Rugby World Cup 2023 led to great financial losses and left the French Rugby Federation in difficulty, said the financial organizer of the State on Tuesday, April 8.

The France Audit Court indicated the finger to the first head of the Tournament Organizing Committee, Claude Atcher, but also said that the French Federation (FFR) and the Government had to be so responsible “because the soules in the dry control committee.”

Despite the promises that the tournament would generate great profits, it led to great financial losses, especially for the FFR. “Everyone won, except the organizers (French),” said the president of the Court, Pierre Moscovici, at a press conference.

The tournament was an “undeniable success with the public, the media and, in a sports sense”, but generated financial losses that could reach up to almost 29 million euros once the related legal cases have been resolved.

“The financial objectives were not with and the inherited resources left for rugby are virtual,” Moscowici said. He said that non -reisticated FFR commitments with the world rugby to ensure the tournament accommodation.

The International Federation “achieved the best financial result” of the tournament, while the FFF made “a minimum loss of € 19.2 million, increasing to € 28.9 million,” said Moscowici.

The government was only really involved in the organization in 2022 after a crisis in the Organizing Committee when Atcher was eliminated on Conerns about his management style.

Moscovici said he was concerned that “the French government does not have a clear and proven doctrine to analyze the conditions under which it provides its support” for the organization of international competition. He said he expected the recommendations contained in the supervision of the Summer Games in Paris of 2024 and is expected to produce a report in June.

Atcher, in a formal right to respond to the Report on the Rugby World Cup, said that “the catastrophic management of the event after my private departure from French rugby or almost 50 million euros in profits.”