London — French rugby chief Bernard Laporte has raised the stakes in a bitter war of words over the destiny of the 2023 World Cup on Tuesday by saying that the sport risks being seen as weak over doping. Last week, the Rugby World Cup Board recommended that the World Rugby Council award the tournament to SA after a technical report placed it ahead of rival bidders France and Ireland on an overall score across a range of criteria. That prompted a furious response from Laporte, who is the president of the French Rugby Federation (FFR). He said the organisation would be writing to World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont, seeking a correction over what it said was a series of inaccuracies including the quality of stadiums and hotels in France.
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