The president of the National Rugby League will not run again next year. Paul Goze therefore ends with his second term. He returned to the situation of French rugby clubs in this period of health crisis.

Elected president of the National Rugby League (LNR) in 2012, Paul Goze will no longer be "president in a year", he explained Wednesday in an interview with AFP, where he rules out any temptation of a third mandate. "I am finishing my second and last term at the end of the year. It has been eight years. I was elected in November 2012, so I am ending my term at the end of 2020. I will no longer be president in one year, "said the one who was re-elected in 2016.

A third term, like a time mentioned by certain media? "I cannot. The statutes do not allow more than two terms," ​​he recalled. According to the statutes and general regulations of the LNR, section 3, article 29, "the President is eligible for re-election, within the limit of two successive terms", which therefore excludes the 68-year-old Perpignan. A third term of Goze would have required a modification of the statutes of the League as well as validation by the general assembly of the Federation.

The elections will take place at "end of year 2020 or beginning of year 2021".

"I would like to solve the problems of the fall and then to have advanced in the problem of the international calendar for the coming season before going to the election. No date is fixed today", he also precise.

The "consequent efforts" of French rugby clubs

In an interview with AFP, the president returned to the "sufficiently substantial efforts" of French rugby clubs which have had to deal with the crisis. French clubs have indeed declared themselves willing to extend the international window, disrupted by the pandemic, to bring it to five dates over five weeks, one less than the French Rugby Federation (FFR) wishes.

"We are on our positions and we are waiting for the Federation to eventually make proposals on how they see the problem. We are extremely firm on this proposal: it is estimated that three to five matches is a sufficiently substantial effort. Especially in the current context, it is not possible for the clubs to make more effort, "Goze told AFP.

"We are in solidarity with international rugby, but we cannot be in solidarity by scuttling ourselves. We made a very important effort at a very difficult time, I think that is the maximum. We are waiting to start a discussion with the Federation ", he also confided. Initially, the XV of France was to play three matches in November but World Rugby doubled the window of the autumn tests at the end of July: result, the Blues could play six matches between October 24 and December 6, which would make it possible to bail out in part of a cash flow undermined by the health crisis, but would deprive the clubs of their internationals.

"We are waiting for the Federation to come back to us with a proposal. We have made our own. Five weeks, five matches. I think the Federation will come back to us, because there are two things to settle: the number of matches but also the provision. The number of matches does not regulate the number of players who are made available during international periods ", continued the president of the NRL. "All this must be negotiated according to the agreement between the FFR and the LNR. We are therefore waiting for the Federation to come back to us with its proposal and, from there, we will negotiate, if necessary", a- he assured.