The first female chief executive of a leading rugby union in the northern hemisphere takes up office in Wales next month, just a year after the Welsh Rugby Union was engulfed by allegations of racism, sexism, misogyny and homophobia amid a “toxic” culture at the governing body.
Abi Tierney’s appointment offers visible leadership to reflect the rapid growth of the women’s game and, at a critical moment for the WRU, brings guardianship to underpin the reforms required to ensure inclusiveness.
The former director general for passports, visas and immigration at the Home Office is no stranger to taking on serious challenges – dealing with the small boats crisis has been top of her agenda in recent years – and now she finds herself as one of the most powerful women in British sports administration.
The publication of a damning independent review in November laid bare the extent of the problem facing Tierney after allegations made by former employees were disclosed during a BBC documentary in January. She acknowledges that her appointment will be key to overseeing the cultural overhaul.
“I have been brought up by my parents and my mentors to be gender neutral and as a leader you bring things – that is OK to a point,” she says. “In the Civil Service, or my previous roles at the NHS and Serco, lots of women had already blazed a trail before me. For this appointment, three things coincide.
“Number one, the growth and increasing passion there is for women’s sport, so representing that in rugby, where I think there’s a massive growth opportunity for female sport that people can look up at me and go, ‘Actually, females and rugby go together and work’.
“I think the second piece of the jigsaw is some of the allegations Welsh rugby has faced. I think almost there’s a guardianship piece. Coming in as a female and wanting to build on work that’s been done but to kind of make sure that the culture that is built is one that is inclusive and where everybody feels valued, whatever their gender, and the authenticity with which I will be able to do that, I think will be very important.
“And then I remember telling my mum and my dad [about her appointment]. My mum, who blazed the trail during her career, was just so incredibly proud. I don’t think I’m unusual. But I realised I’m unusual for the people around me who are looking for a role model. And that feels like a privilege.”
‘Compassion is at the heart of how I lead’
The visible leadership will also see Tierney bring a fresh approach to management. She does not see herself having to fit into the moulds of previous male chief executives. She wants to do things her way. “I am not the type to follow a male leadership style, there is a stereotype of what a male leader does and behaves.
“Compassion is at the heart of how I lead, and engagement and involvement is at the heart of my leadership style. I will be curious and listen rather than be directive and top-down. That is how I have always led and managed to deliver success, so I am not going to be different coming into this role.
“I want to listen, engage, be curious, ask questions, and then, most importantly, build a vision and a strategy collaboratively with what is a really quite challenging and complex group of stakeholders, who have lots of different priorities.
“It would be arrogant for me to come in and say that I have all the answers. What I think I have got is a skill-set that will help me coalesce a vision and work with people. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t priorities. Women’s rugby has to be up there and the pathway development has to be up there, a sustainable financial business model for the whole end-to-end piece has to be up there. But I think the harder bit is how we are going to tackle those together.”
Given her senior position within the Home Office, Tierney’s move to the WRU required sign-off by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak because of the civil service code of conduct concerning conflict of interests. “I work quite closely with him and he has been very supportive,” she adds.
So why the move? Some might see her move as a leap from the frying pan into the fire. Warren Gatland, the Wales head coach, joked earlier in the year that if he had known the problems facing Welsh rugby, he might have thought twice about returning.
‘I would have regretted seeing somebody else do this role’
Tierney is unequivocal. She clicked immediately with the WRU’s new chair Richard Collier-Keywood during the recruitment process. “I first became engaged in the process in April and I have had a lot of time to do due diligence on what the challenges are and I think you can face any challenges if you have a great team around you and are united in wanting to address them,” she adds. “I know I can work with Richard, which was really important.
“When I started my previous job at the Home Office, my predecessor left me a handover document and he changed my job description on the front of it. He swapped out my job title and changed it to ‘The job you can’t win at’. So I am used to challenges. Some people thrive at running organisations that are in a stable place, others thrive when there are complex challenges to try to solve, so this is my dream job, actually. There was also a bit of, ‘If it is not me, then who?’
“I actually think I can make a difference here and I can do this and so I would have regretted seeing somebody doing it.”
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