National Council Member, and current chairman, Gareth Davies is set to complete his sixth year in office and will stand for a third and final three-year term.
Five District Council Members, Bryn Parker (A), Dave Young (B), Ray Wilton (C), Chris Morgan (D) and Phil Thomas (E), are also able to seek the approval of member clubs in respective Districts to extend their time in post.
But, in a letter to member clubs issued today, the WRU is also directly seeking new nominations to create healthy competition in each of the positions and outlines the relevant skills and experience successful candidates will need.
The available Council Member roles are important positions within the WRU’s governance structure, and those appointed will be committed to making a difference to Welsh rugby, with the following attributes also desirable:
– an ability to contribute to a culture that advocates for and with individuals from deprived communities; being involved with a deprived community; or have experience of working with people from lower socio-economic groups
– an ability to contribute towards the development of a culture that promotes equity, equality, inclusion and values diversity, with a particular focus on gender and on BAME communities
– an ability to contribute to a culture that advocates for and with disabled people; being involved with a disabled community; or have experience of working with the social and functional models of disability
The letter reminds member clubs that ‘… today’s Council Member could be tomorrow’s Board Member, so the more diverse the WRU Council is, the better the pool of talent we will have from which to elect our Board and the better Welsh rugby will be for it.’
It’s an issue close the heart of chairman Davies who has confirmed he will stand again for the position of National Council Member after overseeing governance modernisation in 2018 which allowed for the creation of the Council and a more streamlined 12-person Board.
“Hopefully I can offer a period of continuity and stability to Welsh rugby by serving a further National Council Member term during these tough times and, if member clubs decide they want me to do so, I will take up the mantle with as much passion and enthusiasm as I did in my first,” said Davies .
“Thanks to the most significant changes to the governance of the WRU since the game went professional we now boast a smaller, more versatile and dynamic Board and a Council with the specific expertise and remit to safeguard the future of our community game.
“But our work is not yet done in this area and, as we seek new Council Members through the natural evolution of individual member terms, it is vital that we continue to improve both the diversity of background and the variety of skill-sets represented, whilst retaining the 130 years of heritage and history that has made us who we are in 2020.
“We want the WRU Council to be as representative as possible to ensure that it can speak for all of Welsh rugby “We would encourage all clubs to look around their club-houses for the individuals and leaders that best represent the communities around them and possess the relevant skills and experience for the role.
“Recent elections to the WRU Council have not only produced a range of high calibre and high profile candidates but also improved the diversity, skill set and experience within our governance structures and we are grateful to members for continuing to ‘break the mould’ in this regard.
“Governance modernisation has been designed to improve the diversity of our representation, with the pool of talent available on the Council directly influencing the Board. “It is vital that we continue with the recent progress we have made in this area and we would determinedly encourage clubs to nominate candidates with this focus and ambition in mind.”
A person wishing to stand for election as a National Council Member will need to be nominated by two members clubs before the nomination deadline of 3 August 2020.
A person wishing to stand for election as a District Council Member must be a member of a club in that District and will need to be nominated by two clubs from within that District before the same deadline.
A ballot of all member clubs will be held if more than one candidate is nominated for the available National Council Member role.
If more than one candidate is nominated for a District Council Member role in a given District, in each case, a vote will occur at that District’s Annual District Meeting.
