A plan to develop a new Populous-designed rugby stadium in Paris has been scrapped by the French Rugby Federation (FFR) following the election of its new president.

Former national team coach Bernard Laporte was elected earlier this month. In one of his first moves as president, Laporte has opted to end the project despite its advanced stage.

Instead of building the 82,000-capacity stadium, Laporte told the FFR Executive Committee that his preference is to renegotiate the agreement between the governing body and the Stade de France – the French national team’s current home.

According to French newspaper Le Figaro, the team may potentially play matches outside the capital if negotiations hit a dip.

“We will soon launch a call for candidates (to host matches)...this will enable us to have a wider view, including negotiations with the Stade de France, which is one of the main hosts of France but not the only one,” said FFR vice-president Serge Simon.

As recently as June, the FFR agreed a deal with contractor Ibelys to begin building the stadium, which was expected to be completed for 2023.

The €581m (£485.5m, US$608.5m) structure was billed as “the largest roofed entertainment venue in Europe” and formed a key part of the nation’s Rugby World Cup 2023 bid.

Ireland and South Africa are rivalling France’s bid to host the tournament.