Buisson or Grill, which president for the FFR?

Two campaigns for the price of one. It is on June 14 that we will know the identity of the new president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR). But this week, from Wednesday to Friday, a first ballot will take place only to replace the twelve vacant positions on the steering committee.

At the end of January, the Ovale Ensemble movement had slammed the door in order to put pressure on the clan of Bernard Laporte. And thus hope for new general elections. In vain. Because the team in place in Marcoussis never left. Alexandre Martinez has even since been appointed interim president in February.

Grill ready to work with elected officials in place

Two candidates have officially declared themselves to succeed him. First Patrick Buisson, current vice-president in charge of amateur rugby for the FFR. The one who, during the January referendum, had been rejected by the clubs as deputy president presented himself “without any political campaign on the pitch or patronage to allow clubs to choose freely”. This did not prevent the movement “All united behind the fifteen of France” to regularly send press releases to announce the support of former players or recognized figures of French rugby.

Skrela not a candidate, Blanco on the same line but…

This turn has only reinforced the dissensions of this winter with some of its former allies, in particular Jean-Claude Skrela. “All these power games, this race for light struggle to hide the weakness of the proposals and the little consideration given to the life of rugby and the needs of the licensees”, wrote the former coach (1995-1999) last Wednesday, stating firmly that he would not be a candidate for the presidency. In the interview he gave us on Friday, Serge Blanco is on exactly the same line.

He, on the other hand, does not rule out the possibility of succeeding Alexandre Martinez if he were to rejoin the steering committee this week. This is both the ambiguity and the difficulty of the approach. Because the former boss of the NRL (1998-2008) would have preferred to embark on a possible campaign eighteen months later. Not now against a majority, admittedly weakened, but still in place. On paper, the battle for the presidency seems impossible to win. But Blanco, whom Laporte had tried to contact just before his resignation to be a remedy, has seen others.