Proposals have been put forward for a radical reform of the governance of the WRU amid repeated calls for changes to the way rugby is run in Wales.
There have been growing demands for a separation of the professional and community games in terms of administration and control. At present, the amateur clubs have the effective final say over all areas of the sport through holding the majority on the full WRU board and the Community Game Board, via their elected district and national representatives.
That has been illustrated just recently by the CGB rejecting a plan from the WRU executive, headed up by Performance Director Nigel Walker, to reduce the Premiership to 10 clubs in order to raise standards and create a finishing school for regional youngsters. Instead, the CGB have decided the semi-pro league will actually be increased to 14 teams from 2023-24.
There has also been frustration over the Professional Game Board - which in theory runs the pro game - being limited in its influence as the ultimate power rests with the amateur clubs.
It’s against this backdrop that the WRU has commissioned a review into its own governance. This has been carried out by a top London-based consultant, who has significant experience in working with companies to put in place high-quality governance.
The findings of his report are shrouded in secrecy, but the word is he has come up with some pretty seismic proposed changes. These include reducing the size of the WRU Board from 12 to eight members and ending the amateur club majority.
It’s understood the suggestion is there should be a couple of representatives from both the professional and community game, sitting alongside independent non-executives with extensive business experience.
This has echoes of what former chairman Gareth Davies and ex-chief executive Martyn Phillips tried to put in place a few years back. They wanted to see the WRU Board made up of equal numbers representing both the community and pro game, plus three non-executives and a suitably qualified independent chairman.
The idea was to modernise the governance of the sport and make it fit for purpose in terms of facilitating rapid decision-making and holding the executive to account. Their thinking was also that the new balance of power would mean no one part of the game could win a vote without getting the non-execs and chair onside.
But what happened was while Davies and Phillips were able to secure a smaller, streamlined board - down from 20 to 12 members - the amateur club representatives still retained the majority. So the community game held on to overall control, somewhat neutering the PRB, which comprises officials from both the four regions and the WRU executive. This has been viewed by some as a case of the tail wagging the dog, with the multi-million pound pro game ultimately under amateur club control.
Then when Davies made a bid to extend his stay as chairman in order to help see Welsh rugby through the Covid crisis and continue the drive for modernisation, he was kicked out by the community clubs, with long-serving Bargoed RFC official Rob Butcher installed as chair in his place.
It remains to be seen what the reaction will be to the latest proposals for governance reform, but there is no doubt that the public pressure for change is growing steadily.
One other issue up for discussion is what the maximum term of office should be for a WRU Board member. It’s believed that is set to be debated at the governing body’s AGM next month.
There is also the continuing question of the future of the Premiership. At present it is classed as part of the community game and so comes under the umbrella of the CGB. But with that body having rejected Nigel Walker’s 10-club plan, there has been speculation that efforts might be made to move it into the professional tier, with decisions over its format and purpose then resting with the PRB and full Board.
So, as is often the case in Welsh rugby, things are very much up in the air and there are big, big decisions to be made.
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