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The Rules of the RFU are staggeringly undemocratic |
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Big Eddie ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Status: Offline Points: 5043 |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Posted: 09 Jan 2024 at 13:15 |
Set out below is a New Year's post in the Championship section from Camquin. Camquin is one of Rolling Maul's most knowledgeable posters. When I read Camquin's post I was seriously shocked at what he was saying. I myself read the Rules of the RFU kindly supplied by Camquin. The position is even worse than Camquin's summary in italics below suggests!! I have added some further information into Camquin's Summary (my further comments in blue)
Camquin's Summary 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 (being a two thirds majority of the members present 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 board decides everything they believe is in the interests of the Union and has hugely wide sweeping powers. The Council has 'soft' oversight of the board but is completely toothless and actually has no power to do anything other than be a completely ineffectual talking shop ! 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.(Nor the CFO) So essentially there is no way to remove either, and no democratic control. The Rules of the RFU are 30 pages long a significant number of these pages are devoted to the puffery associated with the toothless Council which is powerless and has no effective sanctions available to it. Based on the information in the latest RFU Accounts there are 11 members of the all powerful board. 7 of these 11 board members are not independent according to The Sports Council (as stated in the latest RFU Accounts) In July 2023 the RFU agreed to constitute a review of its governance. The report is expected to be presented to member clubs in late 2024!!! How can this take 18 months!!! I suppose the new agreement with the Premiership and the new Premiership II franchise agreement will have been put in place by then Conclusion The RFU is an undemocratic organisation under the almost complete control of its un-elected board which appoints itself and decides its own pay and rations. There is no effective oversight or sanction over the board. The RFU board takes all decisions including very major decisions (like selling rights to CVC and agreeing outrageous funding to the Premiership) which for any proper corporate structure would always require a 75% approval of its members The RFU's structure and Rules truly makes Bill Sweeney "King Billy" It is all completely and utterly shocking. However, as many posters on the Rolling Maul keep telling me no one outside the Championship or possibly Nat 1 cares so why should any of us be bothered? I will tell you why.........because it is all absolutely against what rugby is mean't to be about that is why! On page 22 of the RFU's latest Annual Accounts there is the following paragraph relating to the RFU's Core Values which to my mind beggars belief! Acting Fairly Between Members The RFU’s members are predominantly its member clubs, referee societies and Constituent Bodies.
The Board is always aware of the importance of acting fairly between the stakeholders, which is
considered whenever a decision is being made that affects one or more of the stakeholders, such as
financial support for the game.
The Council is similarly aware of this need when making regulations for the game. The Board and Council,
both directly and through committees and sub-committees, engage with stakeholders to ensure that it is
aware of their views and to assist it in complying with its duty to act fairly between them. You cannot be serious!
Edited by Big Eddie - 09 Jan 2024 at 13:28 |
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Richard Lowther ![]() Coaching staff ![]() ![]() Moderator Joined: 19 May 2007 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 6574 |
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But whilst clubs can still play rugby each week, the decisions of the RFU mean nothing to them. You need specifics. For example by giving the Premiership clubs £X millions or by having franchises in the Championship or by splitting National 1 into North and South ,what effect does it have on Old Farts RFC playing at level 8? |
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Camquin ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 01 Jun 2007 Location: Cambridge Status: Offline Points: 11254 |
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The things that directly affect them are the demise of the Rugby Development officers, so there is less outreach to schools introducing potential new players. Even that is possibly of more interest to a city club than a village one - where everyone in the club is the son or grandson of a former player. And the reduction in money available for grants / loans for new facilities - due to the money going to the premiership clubs. And insurance or other support for clubs - like Nottingham, but by no means limited to them - damaged by the floods. For some clubs, it is the reduction in travel grants, increased fees for referees. But it is hard to see how one builds a cast iron case that things would be better under a new regime, sufficient to muster a large enough rebellion.
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Sweeney Delenda Est
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Big Eddie ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Status: Offline Points: 5043 |
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The RFU isn't owned by Bill Sweeney or by the Constituent Bodies or by CVC (yet!) it is owned by the clubs all 2,000+ of them. King Billy and his non elected courtiers have already sold 14% of the RFU's income in perpetuity from the Six Nations to CVC.......when will King Billy decide to sell Twickenham to CVC. Do you think this can't happen? With no real checks and balances in place the un elected board of the RFU can do what they like. Former RFU CEO Ian Ritchie gave the 12 Premiership Clubs an amazing sweetheart deal for umpteen years and then left the RFU .......to join the PRL as Chairman! He obviously didn't think that was somewhat unethical given his pivotal role in negotiatiing the RFU's agreement with the PRL. Personally I found it more than distasteful ...........does no one else care? What if King Billy and the board of the RFU thought selling Twickenham to CVC was another brilliant idea. What is to stop them doing that? As far as I can see absolutely nothing...... It appears to me the RFU is now running rugby in England for the benefit of the Premiership and CVC and not for the benefit of the RFU's member clubs King Billy has publicly deemed the Championship 'not to be investable'. This is CVC language not the language of someone who has the responsibility for all of rugby in England. As Camquin has said -RDO's effectively gone -Financial Support for travel gone -Grants/loans for facilities and infrastructure gone -Cost of referees increased -Funding for the Championship reduced from £600k to £150k and soon to be gone -Twickenham?? In my view King Billy and the board are likely to preside over the demise of Community Rugby in England and hand ever more power to the Premiership Cartel (10 independent business owned by billionaires) and CVC one of the world's biggest private equity organisations that is only interested in profit..........there is nothing to stop them doing this ......because there is no oversight or governance to stop them and of course no one appears to care ..... Can any one show me any substantive financial action by the RFU in recent times that fairly allocated resources to the 2,000 or so Community Clubs rather than to the 10 Premiership Clubs or the Elite International Game or CVC! In my view club rugby in England is sleepwalking to disaster! I am no Don Quixote and if no-one cares I suppose I should just shut up......at the end of the day it is only a game Edited by Big Eddie - 09 Jan 2024 at 16:22 |
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''The future isn't what it used to be''
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Richard Lowther ![]() Coaching staff ![]() ![]() Moderator Joined: 19 May 2007 Location: England Status: Offline Points: 6574 |
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Big Eddie I don't disagree but you need to sell the points raised by Camquin to the 99%.
Make them aware that decisions taken at the top affect them in practical ways either by losing things or by potentially being able to have things if the money is redirected. For example Old Farts RFC never had a RDO visit but have a leaky clubhouse roof. What would you do for them?
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Big Eddie ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() ![]() Joined: 19 Jun 2007 Status: Offline Points: 5043 |
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Richard,
I can sell that vision fairly easily. As at June 23 Twickenham is sitting in the books of the RFU at a value of some £250m and the RFU has total net assets of £283m On the basis that I believe King Billy could sell out Twickenham to CVC and divert the cash to the elite game and the Premiership here is my alternative. 1. Member clubs put forward a resolution to sell Twickenham and the rest of the RFU's assets to the highest bidder - after settling creditors and on the basis it currently isn't a forced sale I expect the pot to be considerably north of £1 billion (10 x 2023 Operating profit of £103m before Rugby Investment) 2. The £1 billion is distributed proportionately to Member clubs - say £500k each 3. The Premiership clubs each get £500k as do the Community Clubs 4. King Billy and CVC look after the running of the Elite game and the Premiership. 5. The Community Clubs set up their own organisation which is likely to comprise the handful of people that the RFU previously employed to look after the Community Game This should happen because otherwise all the underlying assets that in reality belong to the Member clubs will be syphoned off to the uninvestable Premiership
Edited by Big Eddie - 09 Jan 2024 at 16:23 |
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''The future isn't what it used to be''
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WEvans ![]() World Cup Winner ![]() Joined: 08 Dec 2016 Location: London Status: Offline Points: 1456 |
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Can't someone get Toby Jones to star in a TV drama about the RFU? It seems about the only way to get anything done about morally bankrupt organisations.
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