Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has survived a vote of no confidence held at a special general meeting where he faced a call for his dismissal by the board.
A community game uprising gathered enough support to trigger the RFU’s first SGM for 20 years and tabled the motion for Sweeney’s contract to be terminated as soon as possible.
But they could muster only 206 of the 466 votes cast with 36 abstaining, registering 29.10 per cent of the total vote.
The 65.82 per cent who voted in support of Sweeney means the highest ranking administrator in English rugby has faced down the rebellion.
The SGM was held at Twickenham and featured a mixture of RFU members attending and others taking part virtually. Of the total RFU membership of around 1,300, 672 cast votes.
Interim chairman Bill Beaumont described the outcome of the vote as “emphatic”.
“On the first motion before us, the message from our members is clear,” Beaumont said.
“They have voted emphatically to support our CEO, Bill Sweeney, and I’m pleased to see such a decisive outcome.
“I would also like to acknowledge the members who voted for the motion—thank you for your voices and your perspectives. Every opinion matters and your concerns have been duly heard.
“I ask that you now give the RFU the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to progress. We are listening and taking action.
“These last few months have not been easy for English rugby where a lot has played out in the media. Now is the time to pull together and this shouldn’t happen again.”
