Never
let it be said that things are dull when the RFU is involved. You could go as
far as saying the RFU puts the fun into dysfunctional.
The
Union's internal problems over the past few months have caused such an outcry
that it has damaged its reputation almost beyond repair. The Board responded by
asking their disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett, a man
respected throughout the rugby world, to chair a review of how the Union had
acted during that time.
In particular the report focused on the
dismissal of John Steele and the Union's inability to appoint a performance
director. And it
revealed such a complex political struggle in which certain people on the Board
tried to unduly influence the recruitment and removal of key people while
undermining the whole process by leaking information to the press.
And since it became clear the report was to
be so honest and damning, every effort has been made to discredit both Blackett
and the facts - or at least stop them from being published.
The RFU chairman Martyn Thomas has
threatened legal action against Blackett and his review team for carrying out
the report he and the Board commissioned them to do. What a farce.
What is more, Oval Talk has been informed
that during the meeting on Sunday 10th July the RFU Council were
told that if they voted to replace Thomas and the Board, the IRB would consider
moving the 2015 Rugby World Cup away from England.
But no matter how highly the IRB thinks of
Thomas, they could not take the World Cup away as the contracts have already
been signed. There is the small matter of money; the IRB are desperate for a
profitable World Cup which England would deliver especially with this year's
event in New Zealand expected to make a £20 million loss.
However, the thought of being responsible
for the RFU losing one of the world's biggest sporting events was too much for
the Council to tolerate. Thus the empty threat had its desired effect in
preventing the Council from having the vote.
It has become embarrassingly clear that the
RFU's hierarchy is littered with people interested in only themselves - and
this has to stop. There have been too many lies, too much deceit, too much
scaremongering; enough is enough. The RFU's higher echelons are rotten to the
core and now that it has tried to get rid of Blackett, its one true beacon of
credibility, the Board has shown its true colours. There is nowhere to hide.
There needs to be a total restructuring of
the organisation in order to maintain the integrity both of the Union and the
game in this country. The Government has pledged a £28m grant to rugby union,
which will be mainly used to fund grass roots; unlike the World Cup, that money
could be taken away. It has already been reduced by £1.1m because agreed levels
of participation have not been met. This is one threat that is genuine.
For now the RFU is dysfunctional and its
current Board must finally take responsibility for its actions and its flaws so
future generations can enjoy the game.
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