Beaumont, a representative of the old face of the game, whether he likes it or not, may have thought he would be unchallenged for the chairmanship. But Pichot, the Argentine halfback in his playing days, produced a dart around the blindside to make a late entry into the race.Beaumont didn't help himself when announcing Frenchman Bernard Laporte as his running mate, thereby forcing a wedge between himself and Pichot, his deputy on the world body.
Ever the politician Laporte is not the most popular man in the world game.
But Pichot has gone bold and seized his moment in a time when World Rugby is vulnerable.
He has outlined a six-point plan of revolution in the game, something that could appeal in the revised nature of the sport once the pandemic is contained.
Having seen his plans for the Nations Championship rejected last year, he has taken the lesson and amended the scope of his plan. It would be an annual tournament featuring the top 12 teams from both hemispheres.
"The Nations Championship is the starting point but we need more people at the table to discuss the proposal: clubs, players, unions, private equity.
"Things were blocked last year but I believe this virus will change people and change the way they do things. I think it could create a revolution in our game because you have to look again at the whole ecosystem," he said.
He wants a more democratic organisation and an end to the archaic voting system that embeds the power of the top tier nations while also introducing a revenue-sharing funding model.
He would encourage a greater concentration on grassroots and youth rugby with special focus on emerging nations.
Pichot would develop players' commissions, similar to the structure the International Olympic Committee employs and which was so strong in forcing their parent body to postpone the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. At the same time, he wants discussions to take place to reduce player wages to create sustainability in the game.
He wants a 'fit for purpose' organisation with a review of all internal structures to restore trust in the governing body.
Interestingly, Pichot has no running mate and has taken an independent stance.
"It is a critical time and a critical selection," he told the Daily Mail.
"I have a different vision of the game to Bill. I'm not saying mine is better than his and I don't have a bad word to say against him, but we think differently.
"Our sport has to adjust to the modern way. It's not about anarchy. It's about modern, equal, professional democracy. We need solidarity and certainty in times of crisis.
"The system does not trust World Rugby…that's the reality. We let politics get inside the organisation and that's not good. I have been a part of it and I should have pushed harder for a fairer system," he said.
Pichot sees the private equity company CVC has a key contributor to the required chance.
"They will want things organised to make more money. A critical situation will put you on a creative pathway to change things," he said.
Amazon Prime, Google or Netflix would be crucial players in creating more income over the next five years, he said.
"If you ask most business people how they run a company and how they spend their money, it's not being done in rugby. I'm not here to fly around the world, go to amazing places and have a good time. We need to look at expenditure and head counts," he said.
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