France coach Bernard Laporte will move from the dugout to a government desk after the Rugby World Cup ends in October following his appointment by President Nicolas Sarkozy as a junior minister for sport.

The 42-year-old Laporte, renowned in France for his blunt, confrontational style, said last year he would step down after the World Cup to go into business.

But his longstanding links with Sarkozy appear to have made a political career more attractive.

Laporte has steered the French rugby team to a Six Nations grand slam in 2002 and 2004 and also the title in 2006 and 2007.

He took France to the 2003 World Cup in Australia, where they were eliminated by eventual champions England.

The World Cup will be held in France from September 7th to October 20th.