Welsh Rugby Union: Governing body will call extraordinary general meeting in 2023

Ieuan Evans recently became the WRU's sixth chairman of the professional era, following Vernon Pugh QC, Glanmor Griffiths, David Pickering, Gareth Davies and Rob Butcher

Welsh Rugby Union to call EGM in 2023

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chair Ieuan Evans says an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) will be called in 2023 to try to push through governance change.

A measure designed to give the WRU board the chance to appoint an independent chair failed at the 2022 annual general meeting in October.

The special resolution was defeated, with 66% of votes gained when 75% were required.

Former chair Rob Butcher stepped down and was replaced by Evans.

No date has yet been set for the EGM, where more than 300 clubs will be invited to meet.

Currently the chair can only be one of eight members of the WRU board, but there is a desire for an independent figure who has more experience in helping to run a business with a £100m turnover.

"Rob was a chair forged from the club game, a one-club man who is still directly in touch with the game at community level as well as a genuine achiever with ambitions to modernise the WRU from within - he achieved this mission in part," said Evans.

"I have huge respect for Rob and what he tried to do in trying to bring new skillsets onto the WRU board, while maintaining links to the community game and allowing the board the option to appoint a chair from outside its own ranks.

"I intend to pick up exactly where Rob left off in these ambitions. We know we need a 75% vote to pass any changes to our constitution, but are buoyed by the fact 66% of clubs voted with the previous motion proposed.

"The feedback we have received tells us more clubs will join us if we explain our thinking more clearly. This is now the task.

"We will call a special meeting of members, or extraordinary general meeting as it is traditionally known, in 2023.

"We will revisit the idea our board should be allowed, should it choose to do so having first considered whether a director can fulfil the role, to appoint a chair with the right skillset, acumen and experience to oversee this £100m business which sustains our game.

"It would be a move which could see the number of directors increase from 12 to 13."

Evans also said the WRU would look to increase the number of independent non-executive directors (INEDs) on the board from three to four, a move which would also require 75% of votes.

"We will visit member clubs and districts to explain our thinking, answer questions, to listen to and allay concerns," added Evans.

"The board believes governance improvements are the right thing to do for Welsh rugby and remains committed to taking further steps to improve our organisation.

"It will safeguard our future. Long after I have served my time as chair, the structures we want to put in place now will continue to pay dividends to all of Welsh rugby.

"We need our clubs to understand our rationale for change and progress with the same clarity I and my fellow board members do.

"We are confident this is the right thing to do but that does not mean we have the right to expect members to agree with us.

"The onus is on us to explain our arguments, put forward conclusions of our recent governance review and allow them to judge and see the value."

Evans is also looking to improve the diversity of the WRU.

"We will also encourage our members to take further steps towards improving diversity throughout our governance structure," added Evans.

"This will include asking members to pass proposals to improve gender diversity of our board and council.

"We have made some progress in this area with recent elections, but need to double-down on diversity in 2023.

"Our board and council should be as representative as possible, positively contributing to a culture that promotes equality and inclusion and values diversity."

Questions over the WRU's culture have been raised after former general manager of women's rugby Charlotte Wathan reached an "amicable resolution" over claims of sexual discrimination.

Wathan, who left the WRU in 2022, had reportedly claimed no action was taken after she raised several alleged inappropriate incidents to the governing body, but a tribunal case scheduled for 2023 has now been withdrawn.

Team Wales and new regional deal

Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips, head coach Warren Gatland and chair Ieuan Evans

Evans says success for Wales at the World Cup in France and completing a new funding deal with the regions are priorities for 2023, with professional players currently officially not being able to sign new contracts.

"We have Warren [Gatland] back at the helm of our senior men's side and a new six-year verbal agreement in place to deliver sustainability and success for the professional game in Wales," added Evans.

"We urgently need to convert this verbal consensus into an agreement which is in executable form, particularly in order to give the players in Wales the required confidence and also to enable our professional game generally to plan and flourish.

"As we enter a World Cup year for Wales' senior men, we have every reason to be optimistic about the future.

"We continue to work hard on putting the right systems and structures in place to support sustained success in our professional game and are tireless in our pursuit of security and safety for our community game.

"These are exciting times. Warren is targeting immediate success at the 2023 Six Nations and World Cup in France later in the year.

"If anyone can make an immediate and positive impact it's him and he has put maximum pressure on himself by willingly raising expectations.

"We want him to win every game in the Six Nations, then we are looking for Wales to break out of the World Cup pool and make an assault on the knockout stages, which inspires a nation in the same way it did in 2011 and 2019.

"We are setting high expectations, not minimum standards or low benchmarks, and Warren is there with us."