Sixteen members of the steering committee of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), opponents of outgoing president Florian Grill, announced on Tuesday that they had resigned, a few days before the FFR election. Among these 16 people, there are several members of Didier Codorniou’s list, who is a candidate against Florian Grill in the election which is being held on October 19, such as former international hooker Guilhem Guirado. The steering committee is made up of 40 members and must “lead and direct the actions” of the federation.
These 16 people had threatened to resign at the end of September to protest against the legal action against Le Coq sportif by the FFR, which is demanding 5.3 million euros in unpaid amounts from its former equipment supplier. The case was reserved until October 24, according to the Troyes commercial court, contacted by AFP. “To the extent that the subpoena has not been withdrawn“, these 16 opponents carried out their threat, explained to AFP Patrick Buisson, one of the resigning members, beaten by Florian Grill for the presidency in June 2023.
“The role of an elected member of the steering committee is to defend the interests of the clubs and the federation“, Florian Grill told AFP, noting that no steering committee was on the agenda between now and the election. The 16 resigners also regretted that Florian Grill had not “not shared“with the steering committee of information on the death by drowning in May of a teenager dismissed from a club”during a rugby camp“on the island of Futuna.”The club has still not made an accident report” replied Florian Grill.
He had been questioned on this subject in an email by one of the members of the steering committee, Etuato Mulikihaame, in the list of resignations, and replied to him “during the day“, copying another member of the committee, he argued. The subject was also discussed during a federal office in May, the minutes of which were validated by the steering committee.
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