Laporte,who is also the French Rugby Federation president and the man credited with winning France the hosting rights to next year’s World Cup in controversial circumstances,will appeal his two-year suspended jail sentence and $117,000 fine.
Lawyers for Altrad,the owner of French club Montpellier and sponsor of the Western Force,All Blacks and Black Ferns,have not yet declared their intentions. The 74-year-old was handed an 18-month suspended prison term and a $78,000 fine for active corruption,insider influencing and misuse of company assets.
The convictions sent shockwaves through international rugby and put the sport’s global governing body into damage control.
Laporte stood down from his World Rugby positions pending the outcome of his legal appeal,but will face investigation by World Rugby’s recently appointed ethics officer,Neil Hallett,regardless.
The move leaves a power vacuum at the top of the World Rugby governance tree,with Laporte’s support in 2020 key to the re-election of president Bill Beaumont. His position,should it remain vacant,will likely be filled by an official from a major northern hemisphere union,a move that could shift the balance of power even further away from the interests of southern hemisphere nations Australia,New Zealand,South Africa and Argentina.
Closer to home,New Zealand Rugby and the Western Force were taking time to consider their options on Wednesday. Neither party had any role in the criminal case brought against Altrad,but both organisations wear the Altrad Group logo on their jerseys after signing lucrative sponsorship deals with the company.
“The Force is in ongoing discussions with the Altrad Group and the club’s key stakeholders following the verdict by a French court overnight (WA time),” the Force said in a statement.