Bill Beaumont appointed interim RFU chairman as civil war breaks out

Sir Bill Beaumont stepped in to replace Tom Ilube after the outgoing RFU chairman said: ‘Recent events have become a distraction from the game.’ Composite: Getty Images

Sir Bill Beaumont has been appointed as the interim chairman of the Rugby ­Football Union after Tom Ilube stepped down, sparking a civil war within the organisation amid accusations of “bullying, ­entitlement and elitism” between RFU council factions.

On another dramatic day at the RFU, Ilube’s departure comes after an extraordinary emergency ­council meeting on Wednesday with some members accusing others of ­behaving like “a mob”.