A Welsh rugby club has urged the Welsh Rugby Union to reconsider their plans to modernise their governance, hitting out at the 'do or die' pressure they feel the Union are putting on clubs.
An Extraordinary General Meeting will be held on Sunday 26 March, where plans to modernise the Union's Board will be put forward to the clubs. Those plans, outlined at the start of February, include proposals that the Board’s next chair should be an appointed Independent Non-Executive Director (INED) rather than someone elected by clubs, that its composition should include at least five women out of the 12 members and that its skill-set should be significantly more diverse.
The WRU's radical proposals will double the number of independent representatives (INEDs), who are appointed rather than elected, on the Board from three to six and reduce the number of elected national or district members, elected from the WRU Council, from eight to four. You can read the plan in full here.
The Union had sought to bring in the option of an independent chair previously, only to fall short of the 75% required votes from the member clubs at the last AGM in October. However, accusations of a 'toxic' culture at the WRU amid allegations of sexism, misogyny, racism and homophobia has increased the pressure on the Union to affect more substantial change moving forward.
An independent taskforce is currently looking into the WRU and any findings could also factor into proposals at the EGM. Speaking in January, WRU interim CEO Nigel Walker said that the future of the game in Wales was in danger if it could not accept "significant change".
However, in a letter seen by WalesOnline, Aberavon Quins have urged the WRU to consider a series of other changes to be put in front of the clubs as they hit out at the WRU. The club had previously been outspoken about the WRU's plans for an independent chair at the last AGM.
They see it as offering the WRU a "compromise", saying they are not against diversity or a skill-based board, but are "against the dilution or relinquishment of the democratic voice of the union clubs to be able to hold the main board to account for decisions that directly impact us as member clubs in Wales".
Club secretary Stuart Broad told WalesOnline: "I wrote to the Welsh Government and received a reply signed from the First Minister and the Minister for Sport, Dawn Bowden, saying that they do not get involved in any governance reform or constitutional issues because the WRU is an independent body. I haven't received a reply from Sport Wales, but I watched the Senedd inquiry with Dame Tanni Grey Thompson and she stated that Sport Wales don't get involved with governance issues. I've emailed sponsors but have not received any replies other than one from Principality to say the email has been received and has been put before their CEO.
"Since then, I've been working hard with club solicitors and with Rhodri Lewis at the WRU to find some sort of compromise. If they're telling us this is do or die and we've got to achieve this level of diversity and a skill-based board, there are other means of doing that without diminishing the democratic voice of the clubs."
The club's counter-proposals would see the number of Independent National Executive Directors reduced, with more elected officials from the clubs taking their place.
They also propose the chair should be an Elected National Executive Director, rather than the independent option that the Union want.
The letter reads: "In light of the Special Resolution that Members of the WRU will vote on at the EGM scheduled for the 26th March, 2023; we, like many other Member Clubs out there, harbor grave concerns that this is being pressurized on us as a ‘Do or Die’ scenario. This does not sit comfortably with us as a Member Club of the Welsh Rugby Union. To quote our National Captain, Ken Owens; “We need to work on this collaboratively – together”.
"For it is only by working on these failings together that we can ever hope to resolve them and restore some pride back into Welsh Rugby. In accordance with article 37 (b) it is only the Main Board that can call a Special Resolution to be voted on by Members at an EGM. We therefore implore that the board consider our proposals as a compromise to be added to the agenda for the EGM in March."
Broad added: "We're getting a bad press right now and some of the rhetoric used to describe club delegates is filled with disdain. We're likened to village idiots who should have no say in a £100m business. We recognise that it is a £100m business but before that, it is the governing body to our national sport that has a duty of care to 327 clubs.
"In that respect, it is failing far more miserably than it is as a business. That needs to be recognised as well. The key thing for us is we understand change needs to happen. We agree that having a skill-based and diverse board are good things, but not at the expense of the democratic voice of the clubs."
The full Aberavon Quins proposals can be read below:
1. To introduce on the Main Board 4 Elected National Executive Directors (ENEDs) (2 of who must be female).
Each candidate applying for the ENED role must do so in accordance with Articles 56-59.
To introduce the Head of Women’s Rugby (HWR) by appointment to the board.
To cut the INED roles on the board from 4 to 1 (The 1 INED must also be Chair of the PRB) (Either the Chair of the PRB or the HWR must be a female).
To cut the District and National Council Members on the board from 8 to 5 (1 of which must be female and 1 must be the Chair of the CGB).
Therefore altering the composition of the WRU Main Board to the following; 1 X Chief Executive Officer (CEO), 5 X District/National Council Members, (1 of whom must be the Chair of the CGB and 1 of whom must be female), Chair of Professional Rugby Board, Head of Women’s Rugby (HWR) (one of either PRB Chair or HWR must be female), 4 X Elected National Executive Directors (ENED) (2 of who must be female).
2. That the board will only be able to nominate a Chair from the ENED, District and National Council members that have been elected to take office. If the CEO is Male then the Chair must be female.
3. All candidates applying for the ENED positions must meet the following criteria, including but limited to;
a) That they have been active serving members of a Member Club for a minimum of 1 year.
b) That they live inside Wales.
c) That they have been proposed by a Member Club to stand for election.
d) That they have been seconded by a Member Club to stand for election.
e) That they must attend a minimum of 1 District meeting per season.
4. There must be a minimum of 3 candidates per election for the ENED role
5. That the ENED, District and National Council members on the Main Board are remunerated in accordance to their skill-set, experience and knowledge within the game. The Main Board will decide the figure for this remuneration.
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