WRU Chair Richard Collier-Keywood to Step Down, Prompting EGM Withdrawal
Richard Collier-Keywood became the first independent chair of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) in 2023. An extraordinary general meeting (EGM) of the WRU, initially scheduled for Monday, 13 April, may now be cancelled following the announcement that Collier-Keywood will step down from his position.
Central Glamorgan Rugby Union (CGRU), one of the WRU's club districts, had successfully garnered sufficient support from clubs to call the EGM. The CGRU had proposed three motions for the meeting, including a vote of no-confidence in both WRU chair Richard Collier-Keywood and Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chair Malcolm Wall.
Collier-Keywood, who assumed the chairmanship in 2023, has decided not to seek a second term and will leave his role on 16 July. A replacement is expected to be appointed thereafter. This follows the recent departure of Malcolm Wall, former Harlequins chairman and PRB chair, who left the WRU in March at the conclusion of his tenure. Marianne Okland has been appointed as interim chair of the PRB.
The third motion proposed by CGRU involved governance reforms, specifically concerning the election process of the four council members who represent the WRU on its board.
Following these developments, CGRU has communicated to clubs that they believe an EGM is no longer necessary and have decided to withdraw all three motions. The district's letter stated:
"With the exits of the WRU chairman and the chairman of the PRB along with future engagement with the WRU board on our governance proposals we have achieved the key objectives of our campaign and feel there is no requirement now for an EGM.
In light of this, we are engaging with the WRU board to discuss how best to manage the EGM process, but it is likely this will now not be required in its current form as we are writing to the WRU legal team to inform them we are withdrawing all three motions.
We will now request to have constructive engagement with the WRU's board of directors on the governance changes that we had requested, and we believe there is an agreeable path forward for this with regards to council members elections onto the WRU board.
There will be further details once these discussions conclude."
Ospreys Return to St Helen's Approved; Cardiff Buyout Deadline Extended
Additional developments in Welsh rugby include the approval for the Ospreys to return to St Helen's and an extension of the deadline for the Cardiff buyout by the WRU. Meanwhile, the Senedd chair has stated that the WRU has "lost argument" over its plans.
Calls to Pause WRU's Three-Team Proposal Amidst EGM Discussions
The call for the EGM was also influenced by the WRU's controversial proposal to reduce the number of professional teams from four to three by June 2027. This plan has faced criticism, protests, and legal challenges from the Scarlets and Swansea Council.
The CGRU's letter did not directly address the impact of the recent leadership changes on the WRU's team reduction plans. However, the district urged the WRU to pause these plans for the professional game. An alternative proposal to maintain four teams has been presented by Rob Regan, former chief operating officer of Principality Building Society.
"While there is still much work to do in order to rebuild trust between the WRU board and the member clubs, significant progress can be made.
We look forward to engaging with the leadership on the future of Welsh rugby and the best way forward for all stakeholders, including the future of the Ospreys, and request the WRU board engage with Rob Regan and his team and pause their plans on the professional game and publish all the evidence before any decisions are made."
CGRU expressed gratitude to the clubs for their support in efforts to safeguard Welsh rugby.
"We are still in a critical moment for Welsh rugby, but we hope we can have renewed engagement with the leadership, and that our voice is never ignored again.
We hope all member clubs take great confidence we still have a voice and we are proud of how clubs from across Wales have come together to protect the game we all love and we don't have to use an EGM again as an avenue for our voices to be heard.
We are seeking that there will also be a commitment to more openness, respect and transparency with our elected Council members who are there as our representatives."
