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Central Glamorgan Rugby Union called the events of the past week a “national disgrace”
A Welsh district has announced it has the required support to call for an EGM after the upcoming Six Nations after calling the events of the past week a “national disgrace”.
Central Glamorgan Rugby Union sent out a letter on Thursday stating they are over the threshold of clubs needed for an EGM. However, they added that their aim is to gather “as much support as possible from member clubs and affiliates” first.
Once the WRU board receives a request for an EGM, it must call it within 21 days. However, the Central Glamorgan district say they would call for the EGM to be held straight after the men’s Six Nations tournament to “avoid any further negative disruption”.
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For an EGM to be called 10% of the 283 community clubs have to put in a request. But for an EGM to be quorate 90 clubs have to be in attendance
There are three motions that the clubs would vote on if an EGM came to pass.
The first would be a vote of no confidence in the current WRU chair, Richard Collier-Keywood, and the current Professional Rugby Board chair, Malcolm Wall.
A majority greater than 50 per cent of votes from those in attendance would be required to oust either.
The second motion would be for the WRU council to hold elections for the four elected WRU council member board positions within two weeks of the EGM – again, requiring more than 50 per cent of the vote.
The third motion would require 75 per cent of the vote and would call for amendments to how WRU district and council members are elected.
The district also propose that an immediate hold is put on the plans to change the structure of the professional game in Wales.
For an EGM to be called 10% of the 283 community clubs have to put in a request. But for an EGM to be quorate 90 clubs have to be in attendance, with t
Other recommendations include the creation of a rugby steering group and a national academy. They add that no directors should be paid, while the new WRU chair and PRB chair should be “immersed in Welsh culture”.
Central Glamorgan’s letter stresses that they do not wish to change any major governance reforms that were voted on in 2023, “apart from a technicality in motions 2 and 3”.
That came after WRU bosses warned member clubs in a strongly-worded letter they risked dragging “Welsh rugby back to outdated structures and a return to debilitation factional internal politics”.
“From what we’re hearing, we’re hearing there is not general support for it,” she added.
Central Glamorgan’s called Monday’s events – when the WRU board chose Y11 as their preferred bidder for Cardiff – as a “national disgrace”.
“We also have concerns that the leadership are behaving in a master servant way of governing, not a sports governing body responsible for the betterment of the game in Wales,” added the letter. “They are showing no empathy at all, you only have to look at what they have done to past presidents of the WRU by revoking their life membership, this is very small in significance to the bigger picture, but that alone should set the alarm bells ringing about the way they are operating in a dictatorial and autocratic way.
“The public are losing faith in the leadership, you only have to look on social media outlets, people are turning their backs on the game we all love, with unprecedented amounts of unsold tickets for the Six Nations matches, which in due course will affect Welsh Rugby finances. This is a very worrying concern, with the future of our game at stake.
“We have received some feedback that members clubs are supportive of an EGM but are fearful of repercussions if they submit the forms. We totally understand and respect these concerns, but it is very worrying that members feel like this as we have a democratic right as per the Articles of Association to call for change via an EGM without fear of any reprisals or repercussions.
“The only people who can do something about initiating change is us as member clubs and affiliates, after all we are the Welsh Rugby Union, the leadership are there to govern the game on our behalf, they are not there to dictate to us.
“The call for this EGM is about the future of Welsh Rugby from the grass roots right up to the national teams, and this could be the last opportunity we have before matters deteriorate even further which could lead to catastrophic consequences for our game.”
