French government oversight failures blamed for Rugby World Cup financial losses
The French government’s “major failures” in overseeing the 2023 Rugby World Cup contributed to significant financial losses and have left the French Rugby Federation (FFR) in serious difficulty, according to a damning report released Tuesday by the French Court of Accounts.
The state’s top financial watchdog criticised the tournament’s first organising committee chief, Claude Atcher, but also pointed to broader institutional shortcomings. It concluded that both the FFR and the government failed in their responsibility to properly supervise the event.
Despite strong public support and sporting success, the tournament could leave a financial deficit of up to €28.9 million ($31.5 million), largely burdening the FFR. “Everyone won, except the [French] organisers,” said Court president Pierre Moscovici.
“The financial targets were not met and the legacy resources left behind for rugby are virtually nil,” he added, noting that the FFR made unrealistic financial promises to secure hosting rights from World Rugby.
While the international federation recorded “the best financial result in its history,” the FFR faces a minimum loss of €19.2 million, potentially climbing once legal proceedings are concluded.
The government only intervened meaningfully in 2022 after Atcher’s removal over management concerns, but Moscovici criticised the lack of a clear national policy for supporting major sporting events. He expressed hope that lessons would be applied to the 2030 Winter Olympics.
In a formal rebuttal, Atcher blamed “catastrophic management of the event after my departure” for depriving French rugby of an estimated €50 million in potential income.
(Source: AFP)
