Former Court of Appeal judge Dame Anne Rafferty will chair the review panel examining the culture and behaviours at the Welsh Rugby Union, it has been announced.
The Rt Hon Dame Anne Rafferty DBE PC, who has been "selected for her qualifications, expertise, and independence," has also finalised the terms of reference for the review, which has been promised by Welsh rugby bosses following damning allegations of sexism, misogyny and racism at the governing body. The WRU say they intend to publish the review's findings and recommendations in full.
The independent review will begin on February 13, and the chair will report progress to the WRU and commissioning advisory group on a monthly basis.
As for scope, the review will focus on the period from 2017 to now, although emerging evidence may prompt the chair to amend the timeframe. The review will examine the culture within the WRU, the actions and behaviour of leadership (at all levels), the WRU's actions in response to individual complaints set out in the BBC Wales Investigates programme, the extent to which employees feel able to voice concerns or to challenge inappropriate and discriminatory language and behaviour, and the effectiveness of the WRU’s whistleblowing policy and procedures.
A WRU statement issued on Friday said: "The WRU will fully co-operate with the independent review, providing all information and access required by the panel. The WRU will implement all recommendations from the report."
Additional panel members with "suitable skills and experience" are set to be nominated for the review panel next week by Sport Resolutions, an independent provider of dispute resolutions and investigation services. They will then be appointed by the chair, while the panel may where appropriate co-opt onto the panel or commission expert advice or assistance.
Terms of reference of the WRU independent review say: "The review will investigate the allegations relating to the culture to understand what if anything should change within the WRU to ensure the organisation is inclusive, open to change and reflects the values of today. The WRU intends to publish the report’s findings and any recommendations in full.
Sport Wales has advised the WRU on the appointment of an independent body to lead the review, the cost of which will be met by the WRU, who have commissioned the review through Sport Resolutions on the advice of Sport Wales.
Previous reviews on the women's game in Wales (2021), a governance report (2022) and a review of equality standards (2022) will be provided to the panel, who will consider the recommendations and findings to inform this fresh probe, although they "will not duplicate work previously done". The panel is expected to conduct interviews, collate written submissions and gather other relevant evidence.
A commissioning advisory group will also be established to support the review, made up of a representative from the WRU and Sport Wales, with a third independent member nominated by Sport Resolutions. The terms of reference say: "The group has advised on the make-up and remit of the independent review panel and has an ongoing role to monitor progress and consider the terms of reference in response to emerging findings of the panel."
Dame Anne was called to the Bar in 1973, becoming a recorder in 1991, a High Court judge in 2000, and a Lord Justice of Appeal and Privy Counsellor in 2011. She retired from the Bench in July 2020 and in March 2021 was invited by Highgate School’s governing body to lead an independent review into alleged sexual abuse and harassment, which was completed last year.
The WRU said it "wishes to encourage all individuals who wish to contribute to engage with the review". A dedicated email address of wru@sportresolutions.com will give direct access to the Sport Resolutions administrative team.
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