Despite the victory, the test match on August 27 could cost the Blues dearly. The Australian rugby federation is in fact demanding 600,000 euros from the FFR under an agreement it would have made under the presidency of Bernard Laporte, a request rejected on Sunday by the current boss of French rugby.
“I have no written record of anything, I have no written agreement. So if I’m not presented with anything, I have no reason to pay. How do I justify it, accounting? Paying the slightest penny, without any written trace…” declared Florian Grill.
Florian Grill demands “documents”
According to local media, the Australian Federation is requesting the payment of one million Australian dollars, or around 600,000 euros, to the French federation due to this agreement reached with the former governance of Bernard Laporte concerning the test match between the Blues and the Wallabies played on August 27.
“I want to honor the signature of the French Rugby Federation but there still need to be documents. The situation has not changed, I report to a steering committee, to a general assembly… You have to be serious. We cannot work without any writing and on the basis of comments which are reported to us as oral agreements and which have no serious trace. No one presented me with a document,” added Florian Grill.
A request already made before the meeting
The meeting between France and Australia, played at the Stade de France and won by Fabien Galthié’s men (41-17), constituted the Blues’ fourth and final World Cup preparation match. At the time, the holding of the match had for a time been called into question, with the Australian Federation already demanding money.
“Even if we have no trace, we told the Australian Federation that we were ready, if we did more than what was budgeted in our accounts, so more than 65,000 seats (the Stade de France can hold around 79,000) , to pay them 50% of the additional revenue,” Florian Grill assured.