The FFR has been plunged into crisis in the year France is set to serve as the sole host for the World Cup for the second time, with Bernard Laporte forced to resign as President after being convicted of corruption charges in December 2022.

French newspaper L'Équipe reported that this double audit followed a report sent to Minister for Sport and the Olympic and Paralympic Games Amélie Oudéa-Castéra at the end of last month about suspicious contracts made by the FFR.

Inspectors have been asked to submit their findings by the end of June.

Hearings had already begun by the General Directorate for Competition, Consumer Affairs and Fraud Prevention into whether IT services competition rules had been respected by the FFR, at the request of legal analysts from the Ministry of Sports.

The Ministries of Sports and the Economy subsequently decided to widen an investigation into the FFR's budgetary and financial management.

"Self-suspended" World Rugby vice-chair Laporte had initially refused to step down permanently from his FFR role, but resigned when his proposal for Patrick Buisson to take over as Acting President was rejected by clubs.

Laporte was found guilty of corruption, bribery and influence peddling by a court in Paris in a case that also involved his friend and Montpellier owner Mohed Altrad, whose construction company sponsors the French national rugby team.

He continued to protest his innocence, and a two-year ban from any position in the sport is not immediately enforceable because of an expected appeal.

Treasurer Alexandre Martinez has taken over as Acting President until a scheduled General Assembly from June 29 to July 1 in Lille.

The Rugby World Cup is scheduled for September 8 to October 28, and rugby sevens is on the programme for next year's Olympic Games in Paris.