Welsh Rugby Union: Incoming chief executive Abi Tierney admits loss of trust after 'horrific' report
- Published
Abi Tierney will officially take over as Welsh Rugby Union chief executive in January 2024
Incoming Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chief executive Abi Tierney admits the governing body has lost trust following the "horrific" report into it.
An independent review found aspects of the WRU culture were sexist, misogynistic, racist and homophobic and not properly challenged.
In January 2024, Tierney will become the first female WRU chief executive.
"The report says we have lost the trust and one of my main focuses is to rebuild that," said Tierney.
The report also found the WRU environment had elements of bullying and discrimination, and was described as toxic by some employees.
The governance was found to have not been been fit for purpose before changes were made in 2023.
The WRU board was also described as dysfunctional, ill-equipped and unable to address the serious institutional and culture problems it faced.
"My overwhelming emotion when I read the report was one of sorrow," said Tierney.
"The behaviours that people experienced - the homophobia, the racism, the misogyny - I just thought it was horrific and none of that behaviour is acceptable."
'He joked he wanted to rape me', said former Welsh Rugby women's general manager Charlotte Wathan
Blanc return?
One of the most striking aspects of the report was the 2021 leaving speech and resignation letter of ex-WRU board member Amanda Blanc.
Former Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair Blanc stood down from the board and PRB role she had held for less than two years in November 2021.
The Aviva Group CEO says she was not listened to at the WRU and Blanc warned the organisation they were "sitting on a ticking time bomb".
Blanc stated in her speech she was questioned by the board whether she had sufficient business experience to be the chairwoman of the WRU's professional board. At the time, Blanc was in charge of a FTSE 100 company and on the 2021 Forbes most influential women in the world list.
Blanc also recounted an example where the board were discussing reducing the sanctions for a WRU district council member who had made a misogynist comment along the lines of "women should know their place in the kitchen and stick to the ironing, men are the master race".
"I found the Amanda Blanc resignation and leaving speech shocking," said Tierney.
"I had not seen it before, so to see it in black and white from such a credible leader was shocking."
Tierney hopes Blanc can one day be persuaded to return to the WRU.
"Richard Collier-Keywood (WRU chair) has met with Amanda and when I start in the new job, it'd be certainly something I would very much like to do would be to meet with her and spend some time with her and learn from her," said Tierney.
"I'd love if she came back onto the board. We'd welcome her with open arms but that would be a decision she'd need to make."
Tierney also told the Scrum V podcast if she had been chief executive and overseen the events the report recorded she would not have expected to keep her job.
Former chief executive Steve Phillips resigned in January 2023 and was awarded a £480,000 pay-off.
Steve Phillips resigned as WRU chief executive in January 2023 after allegations of sexism and misogyny were made against the governing body
Strategy promised
Another aspect Blanc raised was the lack of an overall WRU strategy.
"That is top of my list and the number one priority," said Tierney.
"That should not just include what we are going to do but how in terms of culture or values.
"There is no strategy at the moment, I think the last one was done five or six years ago. That strategy, I can't do it in a darkened room just with my team, we need to do it collaboratively. People want clarity, they want to know where we are going and have some direction.
"That strategy will not only cover the elite men's and women's game, it will be an all-encompassing strategy that covers the community and regional game."
Tierney insists the report has not put her off her new role when she arrives from her position as director general of the HM Passport Office and UK Visas and Immigration.
"Somebody needs to do this job and I feel I'm well equipped to do that," said Tierney.
"It is the privilege of my career to take Welsh rugby forward and I am committed to changing the culture so nobody else has to face that again.
"If anybody does, I want them to feel they are able to raise it and it will be dealt with in the right way.
"I feel incredibly optimistic about the future of Welsh rugby but it doesn't mean there isn't a huge amount of work to do to ensure we have a sustainable business model going forward.
"I've done the research, the report makes it clear that it's not so straightforward as the whole of the WRU being the vindictive workplace described.
"There are elements of the WRU where people are incredibly proud to work there, love their jobs and feel that they have got a positive culture.
"That doesn't excuse where that culture has existed and that's where we need to absolutely focus on trying to make it better and fix it. That's what I'm committed to doing."