Posted by The Welsh Rugby Union is a sexist, bullying national embarrassment of an organisation.
It has been for far too many years, but over the last two it has been almost brazen in it’s lack of want to address any of the blatantly obvious institutional issues that plague not only Westgate Street but now the entirety of Welsh rugby.
From Steve Phillips’ extended goodbye tour when his position was clearly untenable, to Nigel Walker’s bumbling appearances in front of Welsh Government Select Committees and the Scrum V cameras, and now to this week’s shocking revelations regarding the treatment of the Women’s National Team during recent contract negotiations.
It’s a never-ending example of corporate governance failure no matter how many times it claims to go through board room overhaul, wipe the slate clean or apologise and learn from mistakes.
The most recent story, broken in The Telegraph by Fiona Tomas last Thursday, details how the WRU, at the direction of Nigel Walker, effectively blackmailed members of the Women’s National Team side into signing new contracts against the threat of withdrawing them from upcoming warm-up games, the WXV2 competition and subsequently cost them the chance to qualify for the Rugby World Cup.
There was also mention of Head Coach Ioan Cunningham making direct approaches to players in training despite direction having been given to utilise the Women’s Rugby Association for contract negotiations, CEO Abi Tierney threatening to withdraw payment from travelling reserves, and no sign of a previously promised maternity pay policy.
This is obviously a morally wrong approach. There’s certainly an air of sexism about it – would Walker attempt to blackmail the Men’s National Team in this way, for example? – but leaving that aside it is simply a shambolic way to treat any employees. It displays both an incompetent and entirely unprofessional approach to management.
All of which leads me on to another story that broke last Thursday, from Steffan Thomas in WalesOnline, which details how the four Welsh pro clubs have rejected a proposal for the WRU to take on some or all of their debts in return for 20% of shares in each business, and instead are proposing to take on a significant amount of the debt on in exchange for a “golden share”.
That “golden share” will give the Union executive decision making rights over elements of each club’s rugby operation such as influencing positional selection and game time of international players, and the movement of players between clubs if they deem it necessary.
As well as taking on some of the debt each club will also receive a guarantee over payments for the next three years, although benefactors will still be liable to cover any losses and then any shortfall if those payments were to decrease in years four and five of the current deal.
Now this would be a bad deal anyway. The one strength of club rugby in Wales is in it’s independence, but this would essentially make each club primarily a development toy for Team Wales, not a side that aims to stand on it’s own two feet, achieve success and win trophies. That’s not something that I, and many other supporters, would be interested in.
It is the WRU who lumbered us with a large amount of the debt during the covid pandemic, and it is them who have consistently underpaid for the pathway and access provided to players over a decade and more, playing a major role in leaving the professional club game in the mess it is currently in. Perhaps if they paid market rate for what they currently get then they might see a better return.
More than that though, how could any sensible and effective governance at Cardiff Rugby agree to a deal that lets a sexist, bullying organisation receive a “golden share” and control over the main part of the business?
It would reflect so poorly on their regard for the welfare of their employees, their ambition for the club and would be a legacy killer for anyone looking to write the next chapter of the Blue & Blacks’ long and illustrious history with the 150-year anniversary right around the corner.
I remain hopeful that the management at the Arms Park will continue to see sense and not sign up to terms such as this, just as the 20% of shares offer was rejected, but that hope is noticeably absent when it comes to the WRU and their ability to effectively and honourably run any sort of national team performance programme, particularly for women.
The Union needs a complete gutting of any senior faces who were present prior to 2023 if it’s commitments to change and improvement are to be taken seriously, otherwise it will just remain in this never-ending spiral of sexist/bullying incidents, apologies and claims of lessons learned.
Until then Cardiff should be staying well away.
Cardiff Rugby Life 
I completely agree. Nigel went down in my previously high opinion of him when he stated holding the feet to the fire. Which in my view demonstrated that wasn’t tactful and tactical enough for the role. We now have to question whether the Chair and CEO have enough awareness of who and whats around them to permit such acts when the WRU had been found wanting under the previous management. In respect of a golden share for a mere 20%. Why would any organisation be allowing anyone with a 5th interest in a business or anywhere else to have quite as much influence as the WRU demanded. A contribution equivalent to the stake maybe.
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