Sports
Rugby Australia Seeks World Rugby’s Assistance in Match Fee Dispute with France
Rugby Australia (RA) has turned to World Rugby for assistance in collecting a match fee owed by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) for a pre-World Cup fixture. The match, contested between the Australian Wallabies and France, took place over a year ago at the Stade de France in Paris.
Despite ongoing negotiations for more than a year, the FFR has refused to pay the agreed sum. RA chief executive Phil Waugh confirmed the decision to engage World Rugby as a mediator to resolve the matter and facilitate a potential agreement.
Waugh stated, “RA have been engaged in negotiations for over a year with FFR over the match fee owed for the fixture. We are extremely keen to get the matter resolved and closed.” The match, held on August 27, 2023, was arranged following discussions between former French rugby president Bernard Laporte and the former RA chairman Hamish McLennan in November 2021.
Initially, a match fee of approximately $1.7 million was reportedly agreed upon. However, RA is now seeking a substantially lower amount, around $100,000, to maintain a positive relationship between the two rugby entities.
Prior to the agreement being written down, Laporte stepped down as president after receiving a suspended sentence for corruption. His successor, Florian Grill, confirmed the existence of a verbal agreement regarding the match fee.
Grill stated that the Australian federation’s request for payment was based on an oral agreement, though he emphasized there is no written documentation to support the claim. As such, the FFR is facing difficulties in justifying the payment without concrete evidence of the agreement.
In light of this dispute, Rugby Australia has expressed its intention to pursue the outstanding revenue, particularly after reporting a loss of $9.2 million for 2023. The organization remains optimistic about resolving the financial matter promptly.
World Rugby has been approached for comments regarding this situation, as both parties seek a resolution amid ongoing financial challenges faced by the FFR.
