The scale of the challenge the Welsh Rugby Union face in pushing through proposed governance changes at this month's EGM can be revealed in a leaked document seen by WalesOnline.
In a Mid District meeting of clubs, held at Pontypridd RFC on January 30 and attended by former WRU chair Rob Butcher, clubs discussed the reforms which will be put forward at an extraordinary general meeting later this month, while accusations of bullying, misogyny, and sexism within the governing body were also on the agenda.
Opinions over any proposed governance changes were split, according to the meeting minutes, with some voicing fears clubs would "lose their voice" and be "handing over control of the WRU to the regions".
The meeting eventually came to a fraught and abrupt end after a representative from one club, believed to be in his eighties, said he didn't see anything wrong in the BBC programme that exposed alleged sexism within the game. He told the meeting he thought it was about women trying to get more money and was adamant he didn't see what all the fuss was about.
To address the gender imbalance on the WRU board, the union are proposing its composition should include at least five women, while either the chief executive or the independent chair will also ideally be female. The proposals will double the number of independent representatives, 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. The aim is to pack the board with multi-skllied people fully capable of running a modern £100m business. You can read the plan in full here.
When challenged by someone in attendance on plans to introduce an independent chair of the WRU, which was narrowly defeated at the annual general meeting last year, Butcher said it was his view change was needed. More than 30 clubs were in attendance at the meeting.
Another club official from Hirwaun RFC raised his concerns the four professional regions were attempting to take over the WRU and clubs would lose their voice as a result.
In response Butcher quickly emphasised the WRU is a business and the current governance is not taking the game forward, while it was his hope changes would lead to the governing body raising more monies which would be reinvested into all areas of the game.
Pontypridd chief executive Steve Reardon revealed he had voted for an independent chair at the recent AGM but insisted the clubs would not want to hand the power over to the regions this time.
Butcher went on to say the WRU need to make more money to be able to feed back into the clubs, with sponsors bringing in millions at present, while also the Welsh Government and Sport Wales put in money.
As a result he claims the WRU must fall in line to modernise structures, including diversity, especially given sponsors such as Principality had been vocal in the press about the need to change. In a separate meeting, reported by WalesOnline, Professional Rugby Board chair Malcolm Wall has claimed Principality and other major sponsors will walk away from Welsh rugby if the reforms are not passed.
A representative from Wattstown RFC questioned why sponsors would want to invest in the WRU following allegations of bullying, misogyny, sexism, and racism in the workplace which were aired on a BBC documentary in January. He claimed these issues had been known about, with nothing being done about it.
Butcher replied by saying he could not talk about these allegations due to a non disclosure agreement in place.
Towards the end of the meeting, the comment about the BBC programme was made, sparking an angry reaction from Llantwit Fardre's representative, who told the man in question he should watch the programme again as it was not about rugby, but how women were being treated.
The meeting quickly became very fraught, and was brought to an abrupt end, the recorded minutes state.
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