Lapasset Favourite For Irb Re-election

Chairmanship of the International Rugby Board is set to be decided later today in Los Angeles, with Bernard Lapasset reportedly expected to survive the challenge from his current vice-chairman, Bill Beaumont.

According to media reports, Beaumont had asked for a meeting with Lapasset, having acknowledged that a projected 14-12 vote against him was not going to be turned.

The election, originally scheduled for October, was deferred until December, after the council explained that the election should not take place during the Rugby World Cup competition.

During the run-up to the elections, former England captain Beaumont promised to reform the IRB’s commercial model, including World Cups.??Meanwhile, Lapasset has based his manifesto around the growth of the global game over the last four years, specifically having driven the successful campaign to reinstate rugby into the Olympics programme.

Under Lappaset’s term at the head of the IRB, he successfully guided rugby sevens bid to gain admission to the Olympic programme for Rio 2016.??If he is re-elected, it is widely expected that the 64-year-old Frenchman will promoted to become a member of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).