On June 17, 1995, Abdelatif Benazzi did not even have time to get up when the referee disallowed his try against South Africa, which would have been synonymous with the Blues’ qualification for the Rugby World Cup final. Thursday, November 14, 2024, the former second row will surely take a little longer to decide his fate. This time, the action will not take place on a field but in a hotel in Dublin (Ireland), where the 52 members of the World Rugby council will meet. With what is at stake is the succession of Englishman Bill Beaumont as president of the world rugby organizing body.
Abdelatif Benazzi is one of the candidates competing to fill this position. He faces two other former internationals, the Italian Andrea Rinaldo (4 caps) and the Australian Brett Robinson (16 caps). The secret ballot in the morning may be inconclusive and, if none of the three candidates immediately obtains an absolute majority, it may be necessary to await the result of a second round before the winner is announced early this afternoon.
The 56-year-old former Agen player campaigned on the breakup. “We are reaching the end of a model, all players in the game know it,” he says, saying he’s convinced one more false bounce is near: “All the federations in the world are losing money, including France. We run the risk of seeing great nations disappear in the future, as we have recently seen the disappearance of English clubs or Australian provinces, if we continue like this. »
So? “We remain among ourselves, without having a universal vision of rugby,” responds the current vice-president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), who will resign from this role if he is elected president of World Rugby.
“Rugby 7, a great opportunity”
The objective of the former captain of the French XV is the same that Bill Beaumont and other presidential candidates have been able to deploy in the past: “globalize rugby”a sport limited to a dozen very high-level countries. And thus create a market that is profitable for everyone.
To achieve this, Abdelatif Benazzi wants “strengthen the finances of the main nations” AND “Open up to countries where rugby is less consolidated”in Africa or Asia. “Rugby sevens can be a great development opportunity in these placesexplains. It is festive, it interests young people and it enjoyed a magnificent showcase during the Paris Olympic Games. It is a language that speaks to these nations. » You want people to listen “the beauty of rugby” to these “young nations”. But also listen to them by giving them more voice. “Today eleven countries have 70% of the voting rights on the World Rugby council. It’s too much, we need to reach out and share. »
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