2023 – The trial of Bernard Laporte and Mohed Altrad

In 2023, Bernard Laporte, a leading figure in French rugby, appeared before the Paris criminal court on charges of corruption and influence peddling. Alongside him stood several major players in the rugby world, caught up in a case that shook the governance of French sport. Laporte, former head coach of the French national XV and president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), was accused of having favoured Mohed Altrad, billionaire owner of Montpellier Hérault Rugby, in exchange for opaque contracts.

The case began in 2017, when the Altrad company secured the first shirt sponsorship deal in the history of the French XV. Investigators from the National Financial Prosecutor’s Office (PNF) soon took an interest in the links between Laporte and Altrad. A €180,000 contract signed in February 2017 for consultancy services that were never performed, interventions in favour of the Montpellier club and a reduced financial penalty for Montpellier Rugby: all these elements fuelled suspicions of favouritism and conflicts of interest.

An investigation that tarnished French rugby

The trial opened amid great tension. Claude Atcher, former chief executive of the 2023 World Cup, Serge Simon, vice-president of the FFR, and several other rugby figures were also prosecuted.

The charges against Laporte mounted up:

• A €1.8 million sponsorship contract signed with Altrad without consulting the FFR’s marketing committee.
• A reduced fine for Montpellier Rugby, after Laporte called the disciplinary committee.
• Paid assignments that were never carried out between Laporte and Altrad.

The prosecution’s case was clear: as president of the FFR, Bernard Laporte could not enter into financial agreements with a sponsor while intervening on its behalf.

A landmark judgment

Brice Grazzini represented the manager of Score XV, a former rugby player prosecuted for aiding and abetting misuse of corporate assets and undeclared work.

The criminal court delivered its verdict:
Acquitted of aiding and abetting misuse of corporate assets
Sentenced to a mere fine for undeclared work

Bernard Laporte, for his part, received a two-year suspended prison sentence and a €75,000 fine, a decision marking a turning point in the fight against corruption in sport.

The Laporte-Altrad case opens a wider debate: how can new scandals be avoided in the financing of rugby, and of sport in general?

Read an article in Le Monde on the case (in French): Link to the article