One less candidate for the presidency of World Rugby. Two months before the election to succeed Englishman Bill Beaumont, scheduled for next November, Scotsman John Jeffrey (photo above) has been forced to withdraw from the race. The reason: the former flanker simply did not obtain the support of his own federation (SRU). Current vice-president of World Rugby, John Jeffrey was nevertheless often cited as the favorite for the presidency. But the SRU (Scottish Rugby Union) refused to support him because of his management of affairs between 2020 and 2023, when he chaired the board of directors of Scottish Rugby Limited, the operational branch of the body. It believes that he bears responsibility for the very degraded financial situation of the SRU, in deficit of more than 12 million euros at the end of the last financial year. John Jeffrey clearly did not expect such a snub. He declared himself " bitter and very upset", assuring that Scotland would certainly no longer have the opportunity to lead an international federation "before ten years. » He also announced his decision to step down from all his rugby duties and return to his farm. With the Scot now out of the running, the World Rugby presidency will be decided between three candidates: Australian Brett Robinson, 54, Frenchman Abdelatif Benazzi, 56, and Italian Andrea Rinaldo, 70. World Rugby, and before it the IRB, have always been chaired by European leaders.
