Bill Sweeney has insisted he is the right man to lead the Rugby Football Union despite the swirling chaos around Twickenham, claiming that “we are on the cusp of something quite spectacular”.
Last week Sweeney faced down a rebellion from 30 RFU council members who had signed a resolution challenging his leadership and raising fears over the union’s financial position. It was the latest in a string of setbacks in the past 12 months including the demises of Wasps, Worcester, London Irish and Jersey Reds, the shambolic handling of the tackle height, a £40m shortfall in this year’s budget and the refusal of the council to allow him to appoint an independent adviser to oversee governance reforms – tantamount to a show of no confidence.
