Bernard Laporte, under extreme pressure to step down as President of the French Rugby Federation (FFR) after being convicted of corruption charges, has agreed to do so — but only temporarily.

Laporte was given a two-year suspended prison sentence on Tuesday (December 13) after a lengthy investigation but continues to protest his innocence and has vowed to appeal.

He has been called upon to resign by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) Ethics Committee and France's Sports Minister Amélie Oudéa-Castéra.

The latter is due to meet Laporte on Thursday (December 22), having said after the judgement was delivered, that the conviction of the former coach of the French national team was "obstructing" his mission at the head of the FFR with just nine months to go until the hosting of the Rugby World Cup, due to take place in France from September 8 to October 28 next year.

However, according to an FFR release, when Laporte meets the Sports Minister he will propose his "withdrawal" from his functions as FFR President, with a President Delegate standing in for him "while the final criminal decision is made", L’Equipe reports.

With less than a year to go to the staging of the Rugby World Cup in France, FFR President Bernard Laporte is still defying calls for him to resign after being convicted on corruption charges 

The FFR said: "Bernard Laporte informed the federal office of his desire to follow the Ethics Committee's order to the letter.

In its effects, Bernard Laporte remains President of the FFR.

However, he is asked to withdraw temporarily while the final criminal decision is made.

The FFR added that

the appointment of a President-delegate will intervene in place of the President, until a final criminal decision, 

saying that this decision should

be enforceable after the meeting between the President and the Minister of Sports.

It is unknown how long the appeal period would be for Laporte, who has been found guilty of bribery, influence peddling and unlawful taking of interests in the performance of his duties.

Oudéa-Castera made it clear on Sunday (December 18) that she was not in favour of a temporary replacement for Laporte by a delegate.

This withdrawal is not provided for in the statutes and the implications and guarantees must be understood," she said.

The function is not filled today and no delegate President has ever been chosen by the clubs.

Such a situation cannot validly last for months.

<span open="" sans",="" "helvetica="" neue",="" "noto="" sans="" armenian",="" bengali",="" cherokee",="" devanagari",="" ethiopic",="" georgian",="" hebrew",="" kannada",="" khmer",="" lao",="" osmanya",="" tamil",="" telugu",="" thai",="" sans-serif;="" font-size:="" 13px;"="" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">Original source