It all started with a dramatic turn of events. While the campaign for the election of the future president of World Rugby was in full swing – the elections will be held on 14 November – the vice-president of the body and the big favourite to succeed the Englishman Bill Beaumont, the Scot John Jeffrey, announced to everyone’s surprise the withdrawal of his candidacy.
He had just been informed that the Scottish federation would not support his candidacy because of his financial management considered disastrous when he was chairman of the board of directors of Scottish Rugby Limited between 2020 and 2023. Trouble in Landerneau.
Abandoned, John Jeffrey (65 years old) was forced to give up. “What sticks in my craw is that I was defeated by my own country. My own country withdrew its nomination at the last minute, which is unbelievable,” he explained to BBC Scotland.
The author of the unfortunate try in the 1995 semi-final
A ruckus that could benefit someone we weren’t necessarily expecting. Frenchman Abdelatif Benazzi (56 years old), the last to present his candidacy, could indeed be the next boss of world rugby. A real challenge for the former French international, as well as a nice snub.
Born in Morocco to a relatively well-off family, Abdelatif only discovered the world of rugby as a teenager after trying his hand at football and athletics. His athletic skills were quickly noticed. He was selected for the Moroccan junior team in 1985, then was noticed in his first season by French clubs during tours in Europe.
At 18, he was the best player in the country. Cahors and then Agen opened the doors to the very highest level in France for him, but also to its avatars. Racism on certain fields hit him hard. No matter, he climbed the ladder and became an international.
He will remain as a player the one who… on June 17, 1995, during the World Cup semi-final between France and South Africa in Durban, on a marshy pitch, scored two minutes from the end the try that opened the doors to a final against New Zealand for France. But the try was disallowed, we still wonder why. Ah, if VAR (video assistance refereeing) had existed…
“We have been absent from these bodies for too long”
But let’s get back to these elections at the head of world rugby, for which Benazzi is now the favourite against the Italian Andrea Rinaldo (70 years old) and the Australian Brett Robinson (54 years old). He could become the second Frenchman to lead World Rugby, after Bernard Lapasset (2008-2016). Since June 2023, Abdelatif Benazzi has been the FFR’s vice-president for international affairs and a member of the Florian Grill list. He notably represents the federation on the World Rugby council with Florian Grill and Brigitte Jugla. He also plays an ambassadorial role on civic issues.
The last to announce his candidacy, he is a man of convictions and struggles and could be the link between the big nations of the Ovalie and the smaller ones who are often left behind: “France has this habit of reaching out to lesser-regarded nations, whether in Africa or Asia, thanks to our training. We want to play a role around the round table. We have been absent from these bodies for too long.”
Supported by many world rugby leaders
With a long-refined presidency project, in particular by consulting numerous federations, his international experience allows him to have many supporters among the leaders of world rugby.
“I have been attending meetings as a representative of the French Rugby Federation for many months. Rugby must have a global and worldwide scope. We need to review a certain governance and transparency concerning certain places in the world. There are many things that need to be put in place and consolidated: on development, on the health of players, on the democratization of this sport, on the evolution of rugby sevens,” asserts the former captain of the French XV.
“I myself experienced racism when I was a player”
He does not evade any questions, not even those concerning internal affairs and the rotten summer of the French XV: “There will be a before and after in the management of these French teams and in the operation in the future.”
On the Jaminet affair, in particular, he adds: “It’s an opportunity to ask forgiveness from the Arab community, which has been affected in its soul, but the federation does not put people on the stake. I myself suffered racism when I was a player. I suffered from it. Fortunately it was not every day and some people reached out to me.” The policy of the outstretched but firm hand, that is doubtless his credo?
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