John Jeffrey faces new challenge to his World Rugby chair bid

Abdelatif Benazzi, the former captain of France, is the latest ex-player to indicate his interest. He joins Scotland’s John Jeffrey, who is currently vice-chair, Australia’s Brett Robinson and Italy’s Andrea Rinaldo in the running to succeed Sir Bill Beaumont.

Beaumont, the former England captain, is stepping down after two terms and World Rugby’s council will vote for his successor in November. It’s a role that has been described as the most powerful in global rugby and has never before gone outside of the Six Nations. That is now a real possibility, with Robinson in line to benefit from a split in the European vote.

Jeffrey, the former chair of the Scottish Rugby Union and a 1990 Grand Slam hero, was until this summer, the sole candidate. However, Robinson, Rinaldo and Benazzi have now followed in quick succession.

Benazzi, 56, who played for Morocco as well as 78 times for France during a storied career, told the French rugby paper Midi Olympique: “If we want to have any power to influence the major decisions to come, we must therefore aspire to the position of chairman, for which I am now a candidate.”

It follows the announcements by Robinson, capped 16 times by the Wallabies, and Rinaldo, a four-time former Italy international, to stand against Jeffrey who played 40 times for Scotland.

The World Rugby council, which will elect the new chair, has 52 members. Each of the Six Nations unions, the four Sanzaar unions and Japan has three votes. Other unions have only one vote each.