WRU confirms plans to modernise board with five female representatives
- Published
WRU chair Ieuan Evans and acting CEO Nigel Walker were Welsh international team-mates
The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has confirmed it plans to modernise its 12-strong board following damaging sexism and misogyny allegations.
It wants more independent members, a representative for the women's game with the hope that at least five directors are women.
The proposals will be voted on at an extraordinary general meeting in Port Talbot on Sunday, 26 March.
The plans needs 75% of the 282 member clubs to vote for the resolutions.
It is understood to remain an ambition of the WRU that either the chief executive or chair are female.
Catherine Read is currently the only woman on the existing 12-person board.
The proposals follow a damaging few weeks for the WRU that saw chief executive Steve Phillips resign.
A BBC Wales Investigates programme provided allegations of sexism and misogyny within the governing body.
These are being investigated by an independent taskforce led by former judge Dame Anne Rafferty.
The WRU says it is proposing a series of measures designed to redress their gender imbalance and provide more specialist skills.
The proposals will double the number of independent representatives (INEDs), who are appointed rather than elected, on the board from three to six - including the chair of the board.
It said the aim is to ensure a greater diversity of business skills, gender and cultural representation.
The resolution will also reduce the number of elected national or district members, elected from the WRU council, from eight to four.
The WRU proposals also include a board representative with a specific remit to represent the women's and girls' rugby.
The proposals have been unanimously pre-approved by the existing board and will be the only resolution discussed at the EGM later this month.
The quest to bring in an independent chair rather than an elected representative was rejected at the WRU's last annual general meeting in October 2022.
It achieved 66% but fell short of the 75% required, but WRU chair Ieuan Evans, who has travelled to speak to each region in recent weeks, believes signs are positive the shortfall can be made up.
"We are asking members to allow us to make significant changes to our constitution, which they won't do lightly and rightly so," he said previously.
"But we must also be wholly transparent about the scale of change necessary to ensure the survival of Welsh rugby."
Evans says it is imperative the new vision of the WRU is accepted by the clubs.
"We need to enact change to ensure our game is able to survive and flourish at all levels in Wales," he said.
"There is a stark choice before us, to wither or flourish and we will be visiting clubs and districts around Wales to explain our mission here and to implore them to vote these vital modernisations though.
"There has been much talk of an existential crisis in Welsh rugby in recent days.
"Passing these proposals will help us address these issues and many others and ensure we have a modern, fit for purpose, representative board to take Welsh rugby into a new modern era and to restore the trust and pride of those around us."
What the new WRU board would look like
Four independent non executive directors, at least two will be women
Chair of the Professional Rugby Board (PRB) and elected, appointed or selected representative for the women's game, at least one of who will be a woman
Four national and district council members (reduced from eight) including chair of the Community Game Board (CGB), at least one of who will be a woman.
Independent chair and chief executive
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