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”.
The announcement of Ilube’s departure came with a statement that he would “stay on to ensure a smooth transition to a new chair as soon as one is in place” but that was met with anger by the council rebels who questioned why he was not leaving immediately. It is understood there will be a brief handover period to Beaumont.
On Friday a group of council members sent a furious letter, seen by the Guardian, to their colleagues. It read: “We are writing to express our anger and distress at how the events of the recent month have unfolded, leading to the resignation this morning of Tom Ilube. We are particularly concerned by comments and behaviours of fellow council members today and throughout the process.
“This has felt, in no small way, like a mob out to make a point and assert authority, regardless of the outcome or consequences to the game or individuals. There was a lot of talk on Wednesday evening around the culture of the game and council, well the prominent cultures we have felt coming out of this process are of bullying, entitlement and elitism.”
Ilube confirmed he was departing because “recent events have become a distraction from the game”, amid the widespread fury after it emerged Bill Sweeney, the chief executive, was paid £1.1m, including a £358,000 long-term incentive plan bonus, while five other executive directors shared close to £1m amid 42 redundancies and the RFU’s record loss to reserves of £42m.
His fate was effectively sealed after Wednesday’s council meeting, after which an immediate independent review into the salaries and bonuses was commissioned. The RFU finally acknowledged the “reputational damage done to the sport” and recognised “the importance of visible and proactive leadership”.
That meeting lasted for more than four hours and was described by one council member as “the night of the long knives” before Ilube and Sweeney were summoned to a meeting with the RFU president, Rob Udwin, on Thursday.
Sweeney, meanwhile, is under increasing pressure with a grassroots rebellion still determined to press ahead and call for a special general meeting as well as a vote on his dismissal despite Ilube’s decision to stand down. Requiring the backing of 100 clubs to trigger an SGM, the rebels – led by the Rugby Football Referees’ Union and the Championship clubs – are convinced they have the numbers. As of Friday night, the motion had not been lodged with the RFU but it is understood it will be once other member clubs have been given the chance to add their weight.
Wednesday’s council meeting had been called by Udwin in effort to stave off council members triggering a vote of no confidence in Ilube and the former chairman Andy Cosslett was invited to attend to provide context on the bonus payment scheme. It is understood, however, that the council had already formally requested an emergency meeting – at which a vote of no confidence could theoretically be held – to review the RFU’s governance on 10 January. That meeting may still go ahead, or it could be called forward to ratify Beaumont’s appointment.
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The council members’ letter continues: “In Tom’s departure, our faith in council to be a pro-actively inclusive environment, open to leaders for our game who bring different experiences and expertise to help our sport evolve and attract new participants, is severely diminished. We ask you how you will manage this, deliver on the promises that we were made and improve the culture in council that has led to this deeply troubling episode?”
Beaumont stepped down as World Rugby chairman after eight years at the helm in November and is a member of the RFU council. Given his standing around the game and his experience, he would be considered a safe pair of hands in some quarters if he is appointed on a temporary basis in an effort to steer the union out of its current crisis.
“I am honoured to be taking on the role on an interim basis and would like to pay tribute to the great work and passion of Tom Ilube,” said Beaumont. We now must look forward and I hope I can help to unite the game and drive forward the game of rugby in England at both an international level and in the community game.”
