Three ex-chairmen of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) have demanded the resignation of the union's current leadership following the recent controversy over substantial financial losses and the hefty salaries and bonuses awarded to top executives. Amidst the union's reported annual loss of nearly £40 million, RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney received a total compensation of £1.1 million, which included a salary of £742,000 and a long-term incentive plan (LTIP) bonus of £358,000. This revelation has sparked widespread criticism within the rugby community, especially after it was disclosed that other executives also received significant bonuses despite the RFU having recently laid off over 40 staff members.
In light of these developments, three former high-ranking officials at Twickenham—Martyn Thomas, Graeme Cattermole, and Brian Baister—have co-signed a letter asserting that the positions of the senior officials are now 'untenable.' They argue that the ongoing saga has severely tarnished the RFU's reputation. The letter, which echoes previous criticisms from former chief executive Francis Baron, calls for a new leadership team to guide the RFU through a period of rebuilding and restoring trust.
'The recent RFU announcement of a world record net financial loss to reserves for a sports national governing body of £42m, accompanied by large pay increases and bonus payments being made to the Chairman, CEO and other executives just a month after declaring 42 staff redundancies has done enormous and irreparable damage to the reputation of the RFU with member clubs, employees and supporters of the game,' the letter reads.
Adding fuel to the fire, RFU president Rob Udwin has suggested that the negative publicity is due to 'media spinning' and clickbait. There are ongoing efforts to gather enough support to convene a special general meeting aimed at passing a vote of no confidence in RFU chair Tom Ilube and pushing for Sweeney's removal.
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