12 of the 14 clubs in England’s National League One (the third tier of English rugby) have called for a full-scale “root and branch review” of how the sport is run in England.
The scathing letter, which outlines “gross failures of governance and leadership”, comes after RFU chairman Bill Sweeny received a hefty £358,000 bonus, taking his salary up to £1.1m for 2024 – despite another dismal year for the game in England.
The bonus also comes after the RFU recorded an annual loss of £40m and 40 staff were made redundant from the governing body.
English clubs hit out at the RFU in a scathing open letter
It is also the latest in a long line of public statements from clubs in the English game. Championship clubs – who have also seen their central funding drastically cut in recent years – have called for a vote of no confidence in Sweeneyand grassroots clubs around the country have also vented their anger after the bonus scandal.
“Clubs in National League 1 Rugby are jointly calling for a root and branch review, independent of the current RFU Council, Board and Executive, of the governance, structure and administration of Rugby in England”, the letter said.
“Given the current state of the game and the major challenges facing the sport we love, the National League 1 clubs believe there needs to be a comprehensive review of the way Rugby is organized in England, including understanding whether the management of the national side and professional The game must be completely separated from Semi-Pro and Amateur games.
“We believe that recent events have shown that change is required and that there have been major failures in governance and leadership. The RFU Council and Board are complicit both in the lack of accountability and governance that member clubs expect them to exercise, and, along with the RFU leadership, to the lack of clarity and strategy for the development of Rugby in England.”
It added: “We note that there will be an emergency meeting of the RFU Council on December 18. We urge members of the RFU Council to use this as an opportunity to launch an independent review of the management of Rugby in England.”
“The National League 1 clubs will act individually in arguing for or voting on any motions of no confidence that may arise either at that meeting or at any subsequent SGM of the RFU.”
Blackheath FC, Darlington Mowden Park RFC, Dings Crusaders RFC, Esher RFC, Leicester Lions RFC, Plymouth Albion RFC, Rams RFC, Richmond FC, Rosslyn Park FC, Rotherham Titans RUFC, Sale FC and Sedgley Park RUFC all signed the letter.
RFU posts losses of £40m
The RFU has made significant losses of £40m this year, but chairman Sweeney said the governing body was “prepared” for those losses, which he puts down to the World Cup.
“The RFU has planned well for this year, the fourth year of our business planning cycle, which is always a loss maker due to increased costs associated with going to the Rugby World Cup and as a result of hosting fewer games at Allianz Stadium,” he said in a statement.
“From the post-covid challenges, which saw significant lost revenue, significant increases in costs and inflation, and a drop in player participation, we are now entering a period of significant transformation with much to be positive about.
“In the community, player numbers have stabilised, with more teams playing in RFU leagues and players reporting that they feel safer as a result of a reduction in tackle height. We have seen a year-on-year increase in age-grade player registrations there boys registrations increased by 16% and girls by 10% Our Community Game Future project has now planned our first multi-year community games investment of £30m per year against a prioritized roadmap.”
As a result, there has been growing anger in the English game, including three former RFU chairs calling for his sacking.
