The Court of Auditors has published its report on the organization of the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France. She draws up a mixed assessment of the eventThe report welcomes “an undeniable popular, media and sporting success” with economic repercussions, many social and environmental responsibility projects and "the positive impact on France's image of a organization without notable incidents ». World Rugby has achieved "the best financial result in its history" and the result of France 2023, "strictly limited to the organization of the event, is also the best ever recorded by the Rugby World Cup organizing committees".
On the other hand, the Court of Auditors points out dysfunctions which "have led to major risky strategic choices », "substantial losses for the organizing committee and, therefore, lesser resources left as inheritance for the development of rugby in France"The “Campus 2023” training program and the “Hospitality and Travel” activity are notably in question. The FFR recorded "a net loss of at least €19,2 million, even though it was already in financial difficulty in recent years". Consequence, "there is ultimately nothing left no funds available to promote the development of rugby, contrary to what had been put forward, probably too optimistically, during the application".
The report thus judges that the FFR and the State failed "in the control they should have exercised over the organizing committee"The Court of Auditors therefore provides eight recommendations for the future organization of major sporting events. Among them, "make the State's legal, financial and operational commitments conditional on a in-depth preliminary examination of application files and their financial and operational sustainability”The Court also mentions the need to assess "from the application file, the financial and material contributions from local authorities (…) as well as the associated counterparties, with a view to clarifying the nature and level of their involvement in the organization of the event”.
