As we head to what will be the first SGM on Thursday since 2000, I’m reflecting on how we have got to this point, and I keep coming back that its been poor actions taken by those that have a say, those that should be representing our member clubs, those that are employed to manage our affairs and those that are in place to challenge and hold those in power to account.
Its only after the Whole Game Union (WGA) and over 150 clubs collectively called for an Special general Meeting (SGM) for the board to remove our Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Chair, many clubs soon realised they also have a say and it was at this point that I noticed so many clubs did not have any idea on what was going on within our wider game which shows me that our administration had not only failed in the management of the game but was hidden behind an iron curtain allowing little communication to leave Twickenham. Even our Council Members where clubs had voted them into to look after their interests are shielded from what was really happening apart from those that have spent their time strolling the corridors of power brushing their blazers down and looking for their tickets to the next international game. I then come back to our Chairman and board of directors who’s job it is to hold our executive team to account. Its clear that many questions need asking of this group and they should themselves consider their position. Our Chairman Tom Ilube resigned knowing he had failed.
A couple of weeks ago, many MP’s raised questions surrounding the game in a Westminster Hall debate that was driven by officials concerned for their clubs and the wider games future. A few days later, I along with representatives of The Championship had various email exchanges with senior figures from the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Sport England where we discussed The Sports Governance Meeting held back in November 2022 at which both Bill Sweeny (BS) and Simon Massey Taylor (SMT) were challenged about the current state of the game after both Wasps and Worcester had gone into administration. I remember what was said by members of the select committee, ‘You are not answering the question Mr Sweeney’, ‘You live in Isolation’, ‘Completely asleep on the job’, ‘You have to wait for a club to collapse to make learnings’, You are not being paid to take learnings; you are being paid to ensure clubs survive’, ‘No intimation of what is going on in sports governance’, ‘You have failed as so has the RFU. Should you not be looking at your own positions’.
One year later back in September 2023, 33 Council Members called for a vote of no confidence in the board for failing in its fiduciary duties for not holding the board to account. The overriding concern was that the Board was providing insufficient leadership controls and sctrutiny over the performance of the game’s executive. This covered three areas including the financial performance of the game, control, and monitoring to increase of headcount, payroll costs and consultancy fees and creating divisions between the board and executive and the council and member clubs.
One year later, the Rugby Football Referees Union along with members from Championship Clubs, The National Legue and Community Clubs came together collectively and called for an SGM supported by other voting members principally aimed at requesting the removal of our Chairman & CEO, however, our issues are not just with those personnel who have let us all down so badly, but also with process for decision making.
That’s three serious calls for change in less than three years through different stakeholder routes. The Government, Council Members and now THE GAME. My question to all those stakeholders is how long are you prepared to continue in letting these severe failures within our game continue? Since 2022, two more clubs have gone into administration and now Newcastle are requesting urgent loans, continuance in dangerous governance failures, player participation falling, funding shrinking and trust evaporating. A number of council members have been sidelined, clubs not treated as stakeholders, critical decisions made behind closed doors, broken promises leaving the Championship stripped to the verge of collapse, Community rugby left with no support with an executive that remains untouchable and have allowed millions of pounds to be handed to Premier League clubs a privately owned cartel operating outside of the English pyramid system whilst handing themselves over exuberant pay increases and a job well done bonus payments.
I’m sorry, but if anyone thinks that we should keep the status quo and continue with the current CEO, board, and governance structure then we deserve everything that we have got and is yet to come. I don’t know of any organisation that rewards continuous failure in allowing those that have failed to take us through change. Let’s not forget that they do thing think they are a FTSE 250 company so if they continue, you know what’s coming and it won’t be a member’s run organisation.
Back in February, our new interim Chair Bill Beaumont (BB) wrote to me through the RFU Legal department stating that I had given a disservice to the game and the debate in proliferation of false and misleading information that I had written in one of my match day programmes. He added that any communication should be based on accurate facts, and he went on to address my points together with his correct facts. In fact, the whole letter which was in a way a warning off was full of inaccurate facts and further peddling of misinformation an administration I believe that is well rehearsed in this area. My letter back to BB included clarifying that my statements have never been intended as a disservice to the game. My letters regardless of where they are printed or quoted represent my views which resonate with thousands within and beyond the rugby community which not only includes my co directors at Nottingham and my co-chairs within the WGU but clubs within The Championship and many other member clubs and rugby supporters. While some may disagree, that is the nature of democracy. Open debate allows all perspectives to be herd, enabling individuals to form their own conclusions. Over the past five years, myself along with my colleague’s meetings with BS and his executive team have all been one sided discussion, where decisions have been dictated to us rather than properly debated. There has never been a professional forum where both parties could present alternative views and options. To date, I have not received any response to my clarifications on his inaccurate statements and therefore I must assume he now agrees with me…
Over the last few weeks, the press are rallying in numbers in what seems at most their support for change and more stories of rugby despair breaking daily like my Co-Chair Adam White being verbally abused by our RFU President and asked to leave a roadshow that is open for all members to attend saying he had already attended more than he should! Steve Diamonds recent article condemning the RFU with his own words on the ‘desperation the Premiership Clubs are in and just look at the losses of the league’ and adding that Championship Clubs just tittle tattle and they don’t know what pain his. Ealing Trailfinders find out from the press that they have failed the Minimum Ground Standards for promotion this coming season clearly showing the RFU support on ringfencing and (BS) having to apologise to Richmond Council for his threatening words on relocating Twickenham to Birmingham or Milton Keynes. We have also read that England Rugby Travel a joint venture with our governing body, our members money has gone into administration.
Our president should be ashamed and should be now standing aside from having any formal dealing with our SGM as he has clearly showed he is not impartial and in fact thrown his full support behind Bill Sweeney along with Bill Beaumont on the roadshows clearly showing what side of the fence he sits. Steve Diamond should be ashamed and apologise to all those club owners across the game that poor millions every year into their beloved clubs. He needs to be careful as Newcastle may ask him to pay his own wages next month and Bill Sweeny upsetting their local council with inappropriate threats at a time he is fighting for his job and how much more money are we allowing to leave the game where we have operated failed partnerships or joint ventures.
They announced last week that the roadshows are finished, roadshows that would never have taken place without our calling for an SGM and what should have been our Interim Chair BB opportunity to listen to the game but was clearly hijacked by a desperate Bill Sweeny and his entourage of supporters our paid employees and our board members peddling more misinformation whilst touring round the country as if they were on a political party campaign for keeping the status quo. It was very clear after a few days off BB appointment just before Christmas that he was not interested in what the WGU were saying as he released a statement siding with the board and BS before he had had chance to engage with anyone. What the tour has done though is given the press and many other rugby supporters the opportunity in challenging the RFU administration on the continued misinformation and failed management which has allowed those with knowledge and those that hold the correct information to keep putting them right and it seems the more they speak, the more trouble they find themselves in.
On Thursday, we have the moment for change and finally say enough is enough. Enough exclusion, enough failure without consequence and enough leadership that silences dissent while claiming to listen. At this weeks SGM, we have offered members the first of what will be a few opportunities to vote for something that we and other stakeholders should have done back in 2022 and that’s vote for change and this first vote is asking the board to remove our CEO. Let’s not forget that our past Chair did the right thing and resigned rather than waiting for an SGM or Annual General Meeting (AGM) forcing him to go. Whatever the outcome on Thursday, we will only have just begun with a second motion to be tabled for the no confidence in the board over the coming days and then going for full governance changes delivering structural reform at the coming Annual General Meeting.
I along with my co-chairs and many clubs and members urge those that can vote to remember those three major calls to change starting back with the government in November 2022 and nothing was followed through so please don’t waste this opportunity for the sake of our clubs and the game futures.
Letter & Statement written by Alistair Bow Co-Chair Whole Game Union and Chairman Nottingham Rugby.