Welsh Rugby Union: Who will determine the destiny of Welsh rugby?

There will probably be 12 individuals who will in the end determine the destiny of Welsh rugby this month.

Whereas Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) director of rugby and elite efficiency Dave Reddin has been main the method of change in the course of the previous few months, it will likely be the governing physique’s board that may in the end sanction any dramatic alterations to the sport in Wales.

Reddin is a part of a five-strong WRU government group alongside chief government Abi Tierney, group director Geraint John, chief individuals officer Lydia Stirling, chief business officer Leighton Davies and chief working officer Gavin Marshall, who formally begins his position subsequent month.

Solely Tierney additionally sits on the 12-strong board and she or he is presently off work present process most cancers therapy, so what half she is going to play within the course of in the course of the subsequent few weeks stays to be seen.

The WRU board will probably be introduced with a variety of knowledge by Reddin and his group at a gathering on Wednesday, 8 October.

A controversial proposal to scale back the variety of skilled males’s sides in Wales from 4 to 2 was the WRU’s most well-liked choice of the 4 fashions introduced in August.

There was opposition from gamers, supporters and golf equipment to this proposal throughout a session which has now completed.

No closing determination on the way in which forward is anticipated but, with additional conferences deliberate. A definitive final result with board approval has been promised by the tip of October.

The brand new-look board was established in 2023 after a damning report discovered features of the WRU’s tradition have been sexist, racist, misogynistic and homophobic.

Two-thirds of the board modified, with the brand new set-up that includes twice the variety of unbiased administrators in addition to three former gamers, whereas the variety of elected members was diminished from eight to 4.

The WRU believes the transfer has introduced in additional skilled experience, whereas additionally realising gender variety ambitions with 5 ladies becoming a member of the board.

Reddin says the board may have the conviction to make daring change if required.

“The duty of a board in an organisation like this to take the courageous selections when they should,” stated Reddin.

“Led by Richard [Collier-Keywood], our board are dedicated to the necessity to change Welsh rugby for the higher and, if required, making powerful selections which our board are usually not afraid to do.

“I might not say they’re below stress, they recognise the importance of it. They requested us to enter a session course of in order that they might be as nicely knowledgeable as attainable.”

The board’s determination may result in the specter of job losses, authorized motion and a participant strike.

So who’re the dozen figures that maintain the way forward for Welsh rugby of their palms and will go down in historical past because the individuals who oversaw revolutionary change, for higher or worse?

Collier-Keywood is the board’s chief after being named the primary WRU unbiased chair in July 2023, when he changed former Wales captain Ieuan Evans.

Collier-Keywood is a former UK managing accomplice and international vice-chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), and has been a senior adviser to the division for digital, tradition, media and sport.

He has additionally been on the board of the Nationwide Group Lottery Fund and Ladies of the World, which promotes gender equality internationally.

Tierney turned the primary feminine WRU chief government when she formally joined the organisation in January 2024.

She has Welsh connections, as her father hails from Barry, and says she is a lifelong supporter of Welsh rugby.

Tierney was beforehand the director normal for buyer companies on the House Workplace.

Earlier than becoming a member of the civil service, Tierney was a enterprise growth director at Serco, the place she additionally held numerous operational roles, together with regional director and chief government of Suffolk Group Providers.

She had beforehand been a director at College Hospitals of Leicester and Aberdeen Metropolis Council and advertising and marketing chief for IBM’s international companies enterprise.

The previous Harlequins chairman changed Amanda Blanc as chair of the Skilled Rugby Board (PRB) in 2022, granting him a spot on the board.

Wall started his media profession at Southern, Anglia after which Granada Tv earlier than turning into deputy chief government of Meridian Broadcasting within the early Nineteen Nineties.

He went on to steer the multinational media firm United Enterprise Media over a four-year interval earlier than operating Virgin Media’s content material enterprise for 3 years in addition to serving as chairman of UKTV.

Mathias joined the WRU board as an unbiased non-executive director in October 2023.

She was born and introduced up in Pembrokeshire on a household farm and is a certified accountant with almost 30 years of banking, credit score and danger administration expertise.

Mathias joined monetary firm The Openwork Partnership in December 2024 as chief monetary officer (CFO) and board director.

Previous to this, she was group CFO at Rathbones Group, the £1.75bn UK wealth administration agency listed on the London Inventory Change.

Mathias began her profession at Lloyds TSB and joined Coutts non-public financial institution in 2012.

Williams turned an unbiased non-executive director in January 2024, having beforehand been a Cardiff board member.

Initially from Heath in Cardiff, he attended Llanishen Excessive College earlier than qualifying as a chartered engineer.

He has additionally studied within the Superior Administration Programme at The Wharton Enterprise College, College of Pennsylvania.

He was chief government of Halma plc, the worldwide security, well being and environmental know-how group, for 18 years till 2023.

Beneath his management, Halma elevated its market capitalisation from £600m to greater than £8.5bn.

Since December 2024, he has been an government advisor for KKR Non-public Fairness.

Thorne was the primary appointment of the new-look board as an unbiased non-executive member in June 2023 and is now the WRU senior unbiased director.

Thorne’s father Tony was a groundsman on the former Nationwide Stadium in Cardiff in the course of the Nineteen Seventies and Eighties.

Thorne. who was born in Penarth, has had a company international profession in retail, beginning as a trainee in David Morgans in Cardiff earlier than main government board business roles at Mothercare, George at Asda and B&Q.

She is chair of the Nationwide Dance Firm Wales and Barcud Housing Affiliation.

She can also be as an unbiased panel member for public appointments for the Welsh authorities, having beforehand served as a Sport Wales board member and a governor for Cardiff Metropolitan College.

The previous participant turned pundit is essentially the most recognisable determine on the board having performed 94 instances for Wales. He received three Six Nations titles and reaching a World Cup semi-final throughout his worldwide profession.

Twice a British and Irish Lions vacationer, he was named participant of the sequence in opposition to South Africa in 2009 and was a sequence winner 4 years later in Australia.

Roberts’ membership profession has taken him around the globe, from Cardiff to Paris with Racing 92, England with Bathtub and Harlequins, South Africa with Stormers and Australia with the Waratahs, in addition to Cambridge College and Dragons.

He has held a job as a participant consultant on the World Rugby high-performance committee and sits on the Lions Belief.

A rugby pioneer, Bennett was the primary lady to tug on the purple quantity 10 jersey in Wales’ first ladies’s Check match, in opposition to England, in 1987.

She went on to win 26 caps, together with enjoying within the first Ladies’s World Cup in 1991 and that includes on the match once more 4 years later.

Bennett was Wales coach between 1998 and 2000 earlier than main Saracens for a decade. She was additionally a part of England’s teaching group for the 2006 World Cup.

She led the event of UK Sport’s equality normal in 2004, which has been carried out by greater than 400 organisations throughout the UK.

In 2013, the previous instructor launched her personal governance and management firm FairPlay Ltd, advising on governance and management for the likes of the Premier League and all 4 house rugby unions.

A former Wales worldwide second-row who received 75 caps, Donovan started her profession with Cardiff Quins earlier than spending nearly all of her profession at Saracens and showing at two World Cups.

Donovan served on the WRU’s nationwide council earlier than being elected by golf equipment to the board in December 2023.

While in place on the WRU, she has engaged with exterior stakeholders round many areas, together with entry to rugby for girls and women, governance and enchancment of services.

An skilled director within the meals trade – together with one of many largest salad producers in Europe – Donovan has labored as a lobbyist for the horticultural trade.

She has helped translate the wants of the trade into authorities coverage and acted as a authorities advisor.

Manders was elected as a nationwide council member in July 2020 and was re-elected in September 2021.

A former sergeant with South Wales Police, he was capped by Wales at youth stage and toured South Africa in 1980.

He performed for Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd however is a stalwart of Previous Illtydians.

After retiring, Manders continued to work as an assessor, lectured in legislation on the College of South Wales and was a creative director at Tickledom Theatrical Productions and a director of studying at Credwch Ltd.

He was elected to the Group Sport Board (CGB) chair place in November 2022, which noticed him additionally be part of the WRU board instead of outgoing chair Rob Butcher.

Chris Jones is the longest-serving member of the board, having been initially appointed in 2018 as a district council member.

Jones has served as secretary of Newcastle Emlyn RFC for the reason that membership’s formation in 1977, in addition to being a previous participant, captain and coach.

He additionally coached the Welsh Colleges intermediate worldwide aspect and chaired the intermediate group and colleges council.

Jones taught PE for 35 years earlier than his retirement in 2010.

Wilks has spent 50 years in rugby, as a participant, referee, coach and administrator with Risca.

Wilks served as a Dragons director between 2021 and 2023 when the Gwent aspect have been below WRU management and can also be the present chair of the competitions administration committee.

Now retired, his enterprise background was as a supervisor in each the mining and metal industries, spanning each manufacturing and business sectors.

A former faculty governor, he’s a College of Glamorgan engineering graduate and holds a postgraduate diploma in enterprise administration from the College of Wales.