Understanding the Rules of Engagement

There is a battle coming for the very existence of club rugby in England. The Executive Management of the RFU want to direct the majority of the RFU's available resources towards the 11 Premiership clubs and even more shockingly appear to want to push resources towards the 4 failed clubs Wasps, Worcester, London Irish and Jersey.

Edited by Big Eddie - 29 Dec 2023 at 13:07

I'm pretty sure that the majority of all community clubs in England have a low opinion of the RFU. Continued cut backs at grass-roots level have all but ended county community coaches that once used to be seen regularly at clubs.  All clubs believe in competition and meritocracy, it's the very foundation of the game.

rugbychris wrote: I'm pretty sure that the majority of all community clubs in England have a low opinion of the RFU. Continued cut backs at grass-roots level have all but ended county community coaches that once used to be seen regularly at clubs.  All clubs believe in competition and meritocracy, it's the very foundation of the game. Agreed! Personally I don't understand the workings of the RFU and I have read on here that the council doesn't actually control the Executive. If this is true then we actually have an untouchable unaccountable board running the game in this country. Agreed ! However, the RFU are terrified of negative publicity, just look what happened with the tackle height farce. Agreed and this may be the way forward but I would frame an article for the National Media setting out what is happening at the behest of a self serving RFU Executive Management and showing the deeply undemocratic nature of the RFU's governance and structures. It would need to be backed up by the evidence for the National Media.....they wont do the work and they will be fearful of getting anything wrong. If 1000 club signatures could be gathered to demand an explanation around cuts to grass-roots spending, the breaking of rules around Prem-Clubs parachuted back to Champ level and the gross expenditure by the RFU then news outlets will take notice. The BBC love to kick rugby. The structure of the RFU needs to be changed and the current Executive Management has to go

Well said Se7en. As a grassroots follower down in lowly Regional 2, the goings on in the lofty heights of the Championship have little affect on what matters to me and my club, and so isn't of consequence. Little if anything will change here, regardless of what new Premiership offshoot is created. I think the 11 clubs as you call them may be fighting this battle alone. Interesting point you make about the mix of fully pro and semi pro sides being in the same league, seems at odds with itself as surely each club would have different aspirations and expectations depending on whether they are a business or not, needing to return a profit at the end of the day. Like I say, I'm far removed from it all, but one suggestion might be accepting that the time has come for the Pro clubs like Ealing or Doncaster etc to be elevated to join the Prem, and the semi pro ones join a rejigged National League more suited to their finances, facilities etc. I.e. a clean break between the elite rugby clubs for business, and the amateur rugby clubs for the community.

At lower level rugby we are very used to variable numbers of promotions and transfers every season so having new clubs dropped in above us really wouldn't rock many boats.

What is the council?

Edited by Paul10 - 31 Dec 2023 at 14:25

Camquin wrote: The Chief Executive is officially appointed by the union - in effect by the board - and can be removed by the union. I think means by a special motion obtaining a two-thirds vote at a General Meeting. The board is appointed by the board and gets to act for the Union. They also get to set their own pay. The council gets to approve nominations to the board. It can reject a nominee - but it cannot propose nominees. There are term limits for board members, but not for the CEO. So essentially there is no way to remove either, and no democratic control. This was the modernization - required for Sports Council funding - that got rid of the 57 old watsits. However, that funding has all but dried up.

 I can remember attending a RFU AGM many years ago and I sat next to a Services representative who showed me a wad of slips enabling him to vote on behalf of all the Army bases each of whom had one. Needless to say he was going to cast all the votes in support of the RFU council of which he was a member. Not sure if things have changed over the intervening 15 or so years.

That is a good point about the Services Council Reps. The same does go for CB Reps, in my experience. They are often more interested in maintaining the status quo than challenging the structure. I have had a quick look at the RFU website but the Constitution is not immediately obvious. I've got it somewhere so I will have a look.