Abi Tierney, who takes up her post as the new chief executive at the Welsh Rugby Union in January, will be the busiest sporting executive in the UK in 2024 when she attempts to implement the 36 recommendations made by an independent review panel set up to investigate claims of sexism and misogyny by her new employers.
The 133-page report, concluded after a seven-month inquiry that interviewed more than 50 witnesses and waded through 5,000 pages of evidence, delivered a damning insight into how poorly the WRU had been run, and how much it has to do to remedy the issues.
Led by the former Court of Appeal judge Dame Anne Rafferty, the report lays bare the problems of the past and prepares a roadmap for a governing body that admits it must do better.
Top of the list of changes called for by Dame Rafferty and her panel, is the appointment of an oversight body, to which the WRU will report quarterly for the next three years.
She has advised further reform of the board that Richard Collier-Keywood now chairs, reducing the number of members to 10 and further cutting representatives from the rank and file on the council from four to two.
Another key element is implementing a “fit and proper person” test for anyone voted onto the WRU council and board. Dame Rafferty also advises that “there should always be a current strategic plan, covering all aspects of the game”.
Greater transparency is another major point, along with aligning the WRU clearly and publicly with inclusion and diversity. Reform of the financial support to clubs is recommended, along with greater investment in the women’s game.
There should be annual training in equality, diversity and inclusion for all staff, and there is also a need to continue to improve employment practices.
Claims of a “toxic culture” of sexism made against the WRU in a BBC Wales programme in January, which centred around the former head of women’s rugby at the union, Charlotte Wathan, are investigated in the review. But the most damning parts of the report are two contributions from Amanda Blanc, the former chair of the WRU’s professional rugby board.
Her resignation speech and letter of resignation in 2021 paint a picture of misogyny. The UK Government’s Women in Finance Champion, said she had heard one council member say “women should know their place in the kitchen and stick to ironing, men are the master race”. She also claimed that her business and governance credentials were called into question.
The report goes on to say: “The governance of the WRU long failed to put in place secure systems managed by those with appropriate skills to run a £100-million business. The WRU’s governance undermined its efforts to fulfil and balance the roles and responsibilities of both a national sporting body and a large business.
Tierney said she was looking forward to joining the WRU from the Passport Office, where she is director general.
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