France 2023 CEO Claude Atcher has launched the 2023 French Rugby World Cup Players Committee, with Australian rugby legend John Eales as chairman.
Winner of the Rugby World Cup in 1991 and 1999, Eales accepted the role of Chairman of the 2023 French Rugby World Cup Players Committee.
Entered into the World Rugby Hall of Fame in 2007, the former Wallabies captain will play a key role in linking the 660 players who will take part in the 2023 Rugby World Cup with the 2023 French Organizing Committee. This appointment also gives the Players Committee an international dimension.
Seven members of the Cast Committee
Eales will be joined by six of the leading figures in French and international rugby. Former France internationals Philippe Sella and Yannick Jauzion will serve on this Players Committee alongside Welsh rugby legend Gareth Thomas and former Australia captain David Pocock, known for his strong stance on environmental issues.
As the 2023 French Rugby World Cup seeks to emphasize the role of women in rugby, the Players Committee will also feature France’s Jessy Trémoulière, who was named Women’s Rugby World Player of the Decade last December, and Iesinga Vunipola, mother of the English rugby star. Mako and Billy.
Player at the heart of RWC 2023
The Players Committee will meet several times a year to pursue a number of objectives:
- To strengthen the relationship between the 660 players who will play in the 2023 Rugby World Cup and fans in France and around the world
- For bringing together professional and amateur rugby
- To engage players outside the rugby field around the France 2023 CSR initiative, especially through sustainable development projects and to tackle all kinds of discrimination
After the historic decision to extend the 2023 Rugby World Cup by one week, from 8 September to 28 October, increasing downtime for all teams, the formation of this Players Committee confirmed the desire of the 2023 French Rugby World Cup to put players at the heart of the competition. Competitions, in this 10th edition which falls in the 200th year of our sport.
France 2023 CEO Claude Atcher said: “Through their dedication on the pitch and their commitment off the pitch, our players are modern heroes, examples for future generations. The Players Committee will ensure valuable relationships with supporters and the amateur rugby world. The rugby involved in the competition is a major contributor to the positive legacy that the 2023 French Rugby World Cup will leave.
“I want to thank Chairman John Eales and the six representatives involved in this project. In France and internationally, our priority remains the same: putting our players at the heart of the problem.”
The chairman of the Eales Players Committee said: “Rugby is more than just a sport, it is a community and a way to be. It doesn’t just create players; it shapes young men and women. The Players Committee will be there for the fans and for the players so that rugby can continue to play an integral role in inspiring the future and building the social relationships that are so important to our society and to our individual well-being. We look forward to seeing you at the 2023 French Rugby World Cup. “
