Appointing the Oversight Group was one of the first of 36 recommendations and the OG will be in place for a minimum of three years. Rafferty leads the panel as Chair and the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) Executive team, led by CEO Abi Tierney and Chair Richard Collier-Keywood are responsible for reporting to the group on a quarterly basis.
With the first update landing in January and the second in April, the third report can be found on the WRU’s website from today via this link:
Of the 36 recommendations, which are divided into nine areas include; governance, improved transparency, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, financial support to clubs, investment in the women’s and girls’ game, and improved employment practices and disability strategy.
In June 2024, the WRU published its Transparency Statement which reaffirms its commitment to being an open organization aiming to keep its stakeholders informed of its activities and its progress against key performance indicators, making the information easily accessible.
The WRU’s Transparency Statement can be found here.
The new ‘One Wales’ headline strategy published at the end of June addresses many of the themes of the Independent Review and has been designed to deliver against each one of the recommendations, which includes the continued Board and Council reform and adopting a company-wide, transparent way of working.
For the first time ever, the strategy was co-created with our major stakeholders – the four regions and community clubs and sets a clear standard for a more collaborative culture and two-way conversation.
The vision ‘to unite people and inspire passion in our Welsh rugby nation’, is underpinned by a mission to ‘work together to create exceptional experiences and opportunities for everyone through our game’. Four major pillars build the foundation for the strategy which includes:
- Develop inspiring competitive clubs and national teams
- Foster a thriving and sustainable community game
- Accelerate development of the women and girls rugby ecosystem
- Capture, engage and grow our Welsh rugby audience through positive brands, experiences and narrative
“Delivering the new headline strategy any later than June, was a non-negotiable for me.” said WRU CEO Abi Tierney
“It was pivotal that the public, our fans, players, staff, commercial partners understood our commitment to Welsh rugby and direction of travel for the next 5 years.
“Whilst we don’t have all the answers just yet, and undoubtably we have some hurdles to navigate, I’m excited by the huge amount of collaborative work going on behind the scenes and encouraged by the willingness from all parties involved in building this strategy, who share in our ambitious, vision of a thriving, bright future for Welsh rugby.
“We have deliberately taken each of the 36 recommendations and layered them within every element of the strategy. These are essential for us to move forward as a successful, forward-thinking organization and we remain committed to delivering on everyone as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
