At the Annual General Meeting of the WRU in Port Talbot the Union also voted to limit the tenure of Board membership to a maximum of 12 years for any director.
An appointment and selection process for the new directors will now be put in place and appointments could be made by early next year. The decisions follow the recommendations of a governance review which was launched two years ago when the High Court Judge, Sir Robert Owen, was appointed as chair of the Governance Steering Group.
The Board of the WRU currently consists of 14 elected representatives from the Union’s nine Districts and three national representatives elected by all members along with the Group Chief Executive.
The governance review also focused on internal committee structures and remits and a number of the general recommendations have already been adopted in the Disciplinary Regulations and National League Rules for this season. These changes include clarifications and changes to the WRU’s disciplinary processes and procedures.
The Game Policy Committee of the WRU has been renamed the Rugby Committee to more accurately reflect its remit and changes to the remit of the Criteria Review Panel have also been implemented.
The Articles of Association of the WRU are being reviewed so that appropriate amendments that accurately reflect the modern constitutional remit of the governing body may be proposed to the membership in due course.
WRU Group Chief Executive, Roger Lewis, said: “The member clubs have voted for changes which will improve the governance of our Union. Rugby has changed as we progress into the professional era and we must adapt in order to manage our evolution as a governing body.
“We can now bring in expertise from outside rugby to ensure our strategic and operational decision making is tested rigorously. The limit on the terms of office served by Directors will also help to stimulate fresh ideas and new perspectives onto our management structures.
“We can now actively strive to ideally appoint a woman to the Board of the WRU for the first time which will we all agree is a priority for the game and for our governance.
“I want to thank Sir Robert Owen for leading us through this process so effectively and I congratulate the clubs of Welsh rugby for recognising and understanding the need for change. This is the start of an ongoing process to evolve the governance of the Welsh Rugby Union.”
The Chairman of the WRU, David Pickering, who today departed from the role after eleven years in office, said: “I am delighted the clubs have been strong and decisive in backing these important changes.
“We have to modernise and progress in order to make sure the WRU is fit for purpose as a sporting governing body for the twenty first century.
“The WRU has achieved incredible success both on and off the field in recent years and these changes will help us build on that progress. I have had the privilege of chairing this Union through 11 incredible years and I am delighted these improvements to our governance have been voted in during my term of office.
“These changes will strengthen our constitution and help the WRU to add to the great success we have achieved in recent years.
“During my time as Chair we have won four Championships including three Grand Slams, reached the semi-final of a World Cup, won a Sevens World Cup and opened our first National Centre of Excellence. Rugby in North Wales has received an enormous fillip with the introduction of a team in the Championship Division and our community game is better funded than ever before.
“Our Stadium debt has come down from £70m to £15m and we are on course to be debt free, if we want to or need to, by 2021.
“Next year we look forward to welcoming the Rugby World Cup back to Wales with eight games at the Stadium in Cardiff including two quarter finals. This will be the fourth World Cup to have involved Wales which shows our standing in the world game.
“We also have won on the best coaches in the world game and a coaching and backroom team around our national squad which is second to none.
“It is so important we reflect on these strengths and achievements as we look to seize the opportunities which lie ahead and face the inevitable challenges that we know exist.
“I want to thank all my colleagues on the Board whose friendship and help I have enjoyed. I also want to thank the WRU Executive, all the staff and of course the coaches, players, clubs and volunteers who make Welsh rugby what it is. Now is the time for unity and I am confident the WRU can look forward to a bright future.”
