French Rugby Federation Presidential Hopeful Wants Ads On National Team Jersey

Former French national rugby team Manager Bernard Laporte is considering federal contracts for int’l players and “putting advertising on the jersey of the French national team” if he is elected president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), according to the AFP. Laporte said, “For me, federal contracts are the No. 1 key feature.” Mirroring the model used by a number of major rugby nations, Laporte wants to implement three types of contracts: “an exclusive federal contract, an exclusive club contract and a ‘double employer’ federation/club contract.” Speaking on the idea of advertising on the national team jersey, Laporte said, “It would be worth between five and 10 million euros ($5.7M-$11.3M), which would go toward the FNDR, the national rugby development fund which helps clubs that make efforts in grassroots programs for kids, and the development of women in the game” (AFP, 4/15).