Claude Atcher, the RWC 2023 chief executive officer (CEO) of the rugby World Cup organising committee in France has been sacked, and Julien Collette, the former deputy general director, has been appointed as the new CEO.
Following on from a report by the French Labour Inspectorate (sparked into life in June 2022 after popular French sports publication L’Équipe reported that Atcher oversaw a ‘climate of terror’) found that the former CEO led an “extremely degraded social environment” at the organising committee.
The RWC 2023 France organising committee said “France 2023’s board has decided to terminate the contract of CEO Claude Atcher.”
Photo Credit: RWC 2023
Atcher had been suspended since August but the final decision regarding his position was taken by the organising committee’s board of directors during an extraordinary session earlier this week.
The World Cup starts in 11 months in Paris and on the appointment of the new CEO and deputy CEO (Martine Nemecek), the board said: “These appointments will ensure that the preparations for Rugby World Cup 2023 can continue at the highest level of professionalism and in a peaceful social climate.”
Bernard Laporte, who is the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR), is also standing trial in a separate corruption case and the prosecutors have requested a two-year sentence, including one year in jail, for Atcher for accusations of embezzling tens of thousands of euros from the federation by using his close bond with Laporte.
A verdict is expected on December 13 2022 – Laporte is also potentially facing time in prison.
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