He will instead seek to extend his tenure as the President of Rugby Europe.

Morariu had been seen as a serious candidate to replace Lapasset, who officially confirmed last week that he would not seek a third term as the head of World Rugby and instead will concentrate on his role as co-chairman of Paris' bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. 

Former England captain Bill Beaumont, chairman of the Rugby Football Union, who lost out to Lapasset at the last election in Los Angeles in 2011, is the only confirmed candidate for the job so far.

Candidates have until Saturday (March 12) to put forward their names.

The election to appoint Lapasset’s successor is due to be held in Dublin on May 11.

Morariu, a former international rugby player, was the President of the National Olympic Committee of Romania for 10 years between 2004 and 2014.

The 54-year-old was elected as the head of Rugby Europe in 2012, replacing Frenchman Jean Claude Baque, who had held the role for 15 years. 

Rugby Europe, which underwent a rebrand from the European Rugby Association in 2014, is expected to rubber-stump proposals to hold the next election at its General Assembly in Paris later this year when the body meets in Tblisi in Georgia on June 25.

“It [the World Rugby chairmanship] has not been on my mind,” Morariu, who became an IOC member at the Session in Buenos Aires in 2013, told insidethegames.

“I was elected President of Rugby Europe in 2012 and I started a complete review and complete upgrade of Rugby Europe.

“My mandate is to the end of this year and I intend to stand for the position again.

“I want first to finish this job, I think that’s only fair and I don’t like to leave a job that is not finished and jump from one position to the other.

“I want to set and establish Rugby Europe as a strong entity representing and developing rugby in Europe and this is my goal now as far as rugby is concerned.”

The only people eligible to stand for the chairmanship are members of the World Rugby Council, a body made up of 27 men.

Each member of the Council has one vote in the election, with a simple majority required for victory.

Lapasset had previously led rugby's world governing body in 1995 and 1996 and has been involved with several key changes to the sport during his tenure.

The 68-year-old was one of the driving forces behind rugby sevens securing a place on the Olympic programme for Rio 2016 at the IOC Session in Copenhagen in 2009, where it was added along with golf.

He also oversaw the rebrand to World Rugby, which took place in 2014.

“I think rugby went under a tremendous development process under Bernard Lapasset’s term,” Morariu added.

“It’s becoming more and more a global game and the presence at the Olympics is increasing the dimension of the sport.

“This secures access to other countries and other markets which is good for the game.”