Welsh Rugby Faces Crucial WRU EGM on April 13
Welsh rugby has experienced significant challenges over the past two years. The future of Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) chair Richard Collier-Keywood will be determined at an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) scheduled for Monday, 13 April. This meeting will take place at Cardiff's Principality Stadium.
At the EGM, Collier-Keywood will face a vote of no confidence. The call for this meeting was initiated by key figures within one of the WRU's districts, Central Glamorgan Rugby Union (CGRU), who successfully secured enough support to convene the gathering.
In addition to the vote on the chair, clubs will also decide on the method by which the four council members who represent districts on the WRU board are selected. This is notable given that these four members were elected as recently as last autumn.
Controversy Over Professional Team Reduction
The EGM follows the WRU's contentious proposal to reduce the number of professional teams from four to three by June 2027. This plan has provoked criticism, protests, and legal challenges, notably from the Scarlets and Swansea Council.
CGRU members have expressed their desire to pause the WRU's plans, conduct a thorough review of the union's finances, and establish a "rugby steering group" composed of individuals from across rugby and business sectors. This group would provide advice on rugby-related matters, potentially eliminating the need for costly consultants.
Voting Resolutions and Governance Changes
Two "special" resolutions concerning the selection process of council members to the 12-member WRU board require a 75% majority to pass. This follows a previous vote in March 2023 where 97% of clubs supported a significant overhaul of the board's governance.
A third "ordinary" resolution, which requires only a simple majority of 50%, calls for a vote of no confidence in both Richard Collier-Keywood and Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair Malcolm Wall. However, Wall has already concluded his tenure and has been succeeded on an interim basis by independent non-executive member Marianne Okland.
WRU member club representatives have the option to attend the meeting in person, participate online, or vote by proxy.
Potential Impact of the Vote on WRU Plans
Although it would require an extraordinary shift in circumstances, the vote could potentially alter the WRU's current trajectory. The WRU board, consisting of 12 members, previously voted unanimously in favor of reducing the number of professional teams.
Among the four professional regions, the Swansea-based Ospreys are widely regarded as the team most at risk of being cut. This is partly due to the fact that owners Y11 are currently negotiating with the WRU to acquire Cardiff, and only one of the planned three future clubs will be located in west Wales.
Following Wales' recent victory over Italy, WRU director of rugby Dave Reddin reiterated that the governing body intends to proceed with its proposals and confirmed there is "no plan b."
The CGRU district within the Ospreys region is leading opposition to the proposals. They seek to modify the selection process for council members on the WRU board and call for new elections within 14 days. This could result in all four district council seats being filled by members from a single district rather than the current arrangement of two district and two national representatives.
If this resolution passes, combined with the selection of new independent chairs for both the WRU and PRB, it could potentially change half of the WRU board—six members—enough to influence or block the current proposals.
Unsurprisingly, the WRU board has rejected these recommendations, emphasizing the importance of moving forward with their decision:
"It is essential that we press ahead with the decision that we have made which is: To reduce the number of professional clubs to three which will enable improved sustainability of funding to these clubs; and that we invest £28m over the next five years in our SRC (second-tier Super Rygbi Cymru) teams, our pathways up from the community game, player development centres, improved coaching and developing our domestic and international women's game."
