Montauban facing €1.3m debt probe

MONTAUBAN, who came so close to upsetting Munster in last Friday’s Heineken Cup opener, face investigation by French rugby authorities, as they are €1.3 million short of balancing their books after last season, despite declaring otherwise to the French rugby authorities.

According to French media reports, Montauban officials will meet with representatives of the French Top 14 tomorrow to try to explain the massive financial hole revealed in an audit carried out by club president, Daniel Havis.

Faced with an investigation by the DNACG (Direction nationale d’aide de contrôle et de gestion), the French rugby authority’s financial watchdog — and the body responsible for demoting Albi for similar reasons at the end of last season — Montauban’s president will have to convince the visiting accountants that the club can resolve the situation.