GAILLAC: Former France coach Bernard Laporte launched his bid to become president of the rugby federation (FFR) on Tuesday by delivering a stinging attack on his former employers.
The 51-year-old Toulon manager, who guided France to two successive World Cup semi-finals (2003 and 2007), said he would return the federation to its former status of being open to all and end the elitist image it had developed under present incumbent Pierre Camou.
"The Federation is with you one day and against you the next," said Laporte, who launched his campaign in Gaillac, the south-western town where he began his playing career as a scrum-half.
"My programme is to return the federation to you and not leave it in the hands of three or four people at Marcoussis (the headquarters of the federation) who have total control.
"Marcoussis is an impregnable fortress, disdainful and with a refusal to listen," added Laporte, who has coached Toulon to an unprecedented three successive European Cup victories.
Laporte, who served as secretary for sport in the French government from 2007-09, cited the building of a new stadium at a cost of 600 million euros ($677 million), to which he is vehemently opposed, to host all France's home internationals from 2020 as an example of the Camou regime's refusal to listen.
"Those who have raised questions (about the viability of building the stadium) are told 'you, shut up, you are not in charge of this dossier'," said Laporte.
Laporte also wants to reduce the Top 14 to 12 teams and get rid of the knockout stages at the end of the season in order to help create a stronger national side, a proposal that may not go down well with the clubs.
So far, he is the first to declare his candidacy for an election that will not take place until the end of 2016.
Camou, who has been in charge since 2008, has not said whether he will seek another mandate, while France rugby legend now a federation vice-president, Serge Blanco, performed a U-turn after saying he would run in February but then rapidly pulled out, saying it wasn't the right time for him to be a candidate.
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