Toulon head coach Bernard Laporte will be allowed to give his team talk to his players at next weekend’s European Cup rugby final after he had his 16-week suspension lifted by the National Rugby League (LNR) his club announced.
The 49-year-old former France national coach – whose side reached the European Cup final and the French championship final during the suspension – had a 13-week punishment imposed on February 12 after a bitter verbal attack on a referee on January 4.
The suspension forbade him to be in the dressing room before, during and after the match, and even to be in the corridors leading to them.
However, it was increased to 16 weeks on appeal by the French Rugby Federation, who also toughened the punishment by forbidding any contact from the stands with the players or the coaching staff during matches.
He would have been on the outer until June 3, after both the European Cup and French championship finals.
While the LNR refused to comment on why they had prematurely lifted the ban, when contacted by AFP both Laporte and Toulon were delighted.
“I am very happy,” Laporte said in a statement released on the club website.
“I thank them (LNR) for this gesture and I will see if I will return to all my duties as coach for the remaining matches or continue to deploy the same strategy we have used during my suspension with Pierre Mignoni and Jacques Delmas (his assistant coaches).”
Toulon president Mourad Boudjellal, who has also been in hot water with the authorities on previous occasions for outspoken remarks, said the LNR olive branch would be reciprocated, when he hinted the club would choose its words more carefully when it came to criticising things.
“It is a gesture by the League that we will take into account with regard to our future attitude,” said the comic book publisher.
“Bernard deserved to be punished, but I believe the penalty imposed was over the top. What has taken place today redresses the balance a little.”
Toulon defend their European Cup trophy against English side Saracens in Cardiff next Saturday.
