Declared candidate for the presidency of World Rugby last September, Abdelatif Benazzi seems to be starting from afar against his two competitors. However, the profile of the former French international has been very attractive in recent weeks…
Will Abdelatif Benazzi follow in the footsteps of Albert Ferrasse and Bernard Lapasset, the two French people who have already presided over the destiny of world rugby? The question arises. The former French international declared himself late in the race for the presidency of World Rugby while the two other candidates – the Italian Andréa Rinaldo and the Australian Brett Robinson – had already expressed their desire and undertaken real work background. The second has been a member of the World Rugby Council for eight years and has been preparing his candidacy for several months. It is even said that he is dubbed by the current president Bill Beaumont. “The favorite is definitely Brett Robinsonswears a member of the close guard of the vice-president of the FFR. But Abdelatif is an increasingly worrying challenger for his adversaries. »
The CV of his competitors: Australian Brett Robinson
Born January 24, 1970 in Toowoomba.
He made sixteen caps for the Australian team between 1996 and 1998 as a third row.
He also played 43 matches for the ACT Brumbies in Super Rugby between 1996 and 2000. He was the first captain in the history of the Australian capital franchise.
He then worked for the Australian federation as general performance manager before working for a few years in the private sector (in insurance).
He presented his candidacy via an alarmist speech evoking an existential threat to rugby which, according to him, is being cut off from younger generations. He proposed various measures to influence the speed of the game and its attractiveness.
He also spoke of the financial problems that threaten major nations.
In this race for the presidency, even if he declared himself late, Benazzi also carried out the shadow work necessary to convince the voting federations. The latter, with the president of the FFR, Florian Grill, spent a large part of the Olympic Games at the Pullman Montparnasse hotel in Paris, a vacation spot for members affiliated with World Rugby. Strategic place to meet and exchange with members of the Council and voting federations. Objective: present France's vision for the future of world rugby. “There is a lot to review in terms of the governance of World Rugbysouligne Florian Grill : the way women's rugby is organized, the health of participants, academic development. Today, development is centered on the Anglo-Saxon world. However, our vision is also to develop rugby in countries like Spain, Germany and especially the African continent. Africa will account for 40% of the world's population by 2050. And the reality of rugby is that it is not a globalized sport. »
The CV of his competitors: the Italian Andrea Rinaldo
Born September 13, 1954 in Venice.
4 selections for the Italian team as second line (in 1977).
He spent most of his career in Padua.
He has the distinction of having had a brilliant academic career. He is a world-renowned hydrologist.
He taught at the University of Padua, at the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne in Switzerland. He even gave courses at American universities, Purdue, Princeton and at MIT in Boston. He has received several prestigious awards during his dedicated career for his research on the water cycle. He was president of the Petrarca Padova club from 1996 to 2023.
He was twice a member of the Steering Committee of the Italian Rugby Federation (2012-2016 and 2016-2003). He also sat on the steering committee of the European Cup (ERC then EPCR).
The other sensitive subject is the economics of rugby. “No world rugby nation is doing well financiallytonne encore Florian Grill. There is still a bug at World Rugby level. World Rugby's financial return rate to its member federations is 61%. To give a comparative element, the LNR pays close to 80% to its clubs. »
An undecided vote until the end?
This Monday, in the evening, Abdelatif Benazzi will fly to Dublin accompanied by Nicolas Hourquet, Deputy Director for International Affairs of the FFR. They will be joined on Tuesday by the two other French members of the Council: Florian Grill and the new treasurer Clotilde Delbos. Together, they undoubtedly agreed to continue their lobbying work until the last minute. A work that they have continued to orchestrate for several weeks with numerous nations such as Uruguay or Romania (two teams which recently faced the XV of France…), or African and Asian confederations where Benazzi enjoys a good popularity rating.
Icon Sport – Hugo Pfeiffer
In recent days, they have also been in contact with the leaders of the Japanese federation. A federation with three votes and whose choice it is said could weigh heavily in the final vote. Just as it is rumored that the Italian candidate Andréa Rinaldo should, in the event of a third place in the first round of voting, withdraw in favor of the Frenchman in the second. In the French camp, we ensure that Benazzi's candidacy benefits from a sufficient base of votes to overcome the obstacle of the first round. According to the latest counts, she could then collect, in a duel with Brett Robinson, between 24 and 27 votes. Abdelatif Benazzi will need 27 to be elected with an absolute majority. And a fine connoisseur of the mysteries of World Rugby concludes: “It will play out until the day before the election during the Council members’ dinner. »
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