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Gareth Davies ousts David Pickering at WRU in bid to end bickering Gareth Davies ousts David Pickering at WRU in bid to end bickering
(35 minutes later)
A year of upheaval and turmoil in Wales continued on Friday when one of the country’s leading administrators, David Pickering, was thrown off the board of the Welsh Rugby Union board he had chaired for the last 11 years and the chief executive of Newport Gwent Dragons, Gareth Davies, was voted on. A year of upheaval and turmoil in Wales continued on Friday when one of the country’s leading administrators, David Pickering, was thrown off the Welsh Rugby Union board he had chaired for the last 11 years and the chief executive of Newport Gwent Dragons, Gareth Davies, was voted on.
Pickering, who will lose his seats on the International Rugby Board and the Six Nations committee when his term of office in Wales ends in October although he will remain a director of Rugby World Cup Ltd, was standing for a new three-year term as one of two national representatives.Pickering, who will lose his seats on the International Rugby Board and the Six Nations committee when his term of office in Wales ends in October although he will remain a director of Rugby World Cup Ltd, was standing for a new three-year term as one of two national representatives.
He was opposed by four candidates, none of whom were incumbents as the former Wales and Lions wing Gerald Davies was not seeking re-election, and was beaten by Davies and the former Wales prop Anthony Buchanan, both former playing and international contemporaries. When they announced they were standing earlier in the summer, they both said their motivation was to rescue the reputation of the game in Wales which Davies described as a “joke”.He was opposed by four candidates, none of whom were incumbents as the former Wales and Lions wing Gerald Davies was not seeking re-election, and was beaten by Davies and the former Wales prop Anthony Buchanan, both former playing and international contemporaries. When they announced they were standing earlier in the summer, they both said their motivation was to rescue the reputation of the game in Wales which Davies described as a “joke”.
The WRU had been in dispute with its regions for more than 18 months before it signed a service agreement with the four just before the start of the season, while a number of rank-and-file clubs were unhappy a change to the league system had been made without adequate consultation.The WRU had been in dispute with its regions for more than 18 months before it signed a service agreement with the four just before the start of the season, while a number of rank-and-file clubs were unhappy a change to the league system had been made without adequate consultation.
The union’s board easily survived a vote of no confidence at the start of the summer engineered by the former WRU group chief executive David Moffett, the discontent many felt then manifesting itself in the removal of Pickering one year before eight World Cup matches are played at the Millennium Stadium.The union’s board easily survived a vote of no confidence at the start of the summer engineered by the former WRU group chief executive David Moffett, the discontent many felt then manifesting itself in the removal of Pickering one year before eight World Cup matches are played at the Millennium Stadium.
Pickering’s departure will put pressure on Roger Lewis, the chief executive of the WRU who earlier this year failed in his attempt to keep European Rugby Cup Ltd in business before giving up his stated aim of bringing the four regions under partial control of the union. The upshot of the new agreement was that the independence of the four was enhanced.Pickering’s departure will put pressure on Roger Lewis, the chief executive of the WRU who earlier this year failed in his attempt to keep European Rugby Cup Ltd in business before giving up his stated aim of bringing the four regions under partial control of the union. The upshot of the new agreement was that the independence of the four was enhanced.
“I had been on the board for a long time and the Welsh game has had a lot of success in that period,” Pickering said. “It has been a difficult year with negotiations with the regions and the clubs over league rules and I fully understand that there was a desire for change. I will give Gareth and Anthony, good friends of mine, my full support and I wish them well.”“I had been on the board for a long time and the Welsh game has had a lot of success in that period,” Pickering said. “It has been a difficult year with negotiations with the regions and the clubs over league rules and I fully understand that there was a desire for change. I will give Gareth and Anthony, good friends of mine, my full support and I wish them well.”
Davies, an fly-half for Wales and the Lions from the end of the 1970s, will remain in position with the Dragons having joined the region last year from Leeds, the latest chapter in a varied career that has taken in stints with the Confederation of British Industry and the Wales Tourist Board. When he was the chief executive of Cardiff in 1998, the club pulled out of the Welsh league and Heineken Cup, along with Swansea, to play friendlies against English clubs. Davies, a fly-half for Wales and the Lions from the end of the 1970s, will remain in position with the Dragons having joined the region last year from Leeds, the latest chapter in a varied career that has taken in stints with the Confederation of British Industry and the Wales Tourist Board. When he was the chief executive of Cardiff in 1998, the club pulled out of the Welsh league and Heineken Cup, along with Swansea, to play friendlies against English clubs.
“My role is to represent the game as a whole and there are issues facing us all,” said Davies, who did not campaign on a regional platform, although his presence will give the four a voice on the governing body they lost five years ago when they lost the right to have a representative on the board.“My role is to represent the game as a whole and there are issues facing us all,” said Davies, who did not campaign on a regional platform, although his presence will give the four a voice on the governing body they lost five years ago when they lost the right to have a representative on the board.
“It has been well documented that the professional game has had its problems, but it is the same with the grassroots. There is a clear need for change.”“It has been well documented that the professional game has had its problems, but it is the same with the grassroots. There is a clear need for change.”
During his election campaign, Davies said: “I have just moved back to Wales from England and we are a joke outside. People there like to take the mickey out of the Welsh anyway but they cannot believe what has been going on. The game is not in a great state, I don’t care what people say. It has been probably the best period ever for the national team in terms of performance, but that has papered over cracks that have grown wider in recent years.”During his election campaign, Davies said: “I have just moved back to Wales from England and we are a joke outside. People there like to take the mickey out of the Welsh anyway but they cannot believe what has been going on. The game is not in a great state, I don’t care what people say. It has been probably the best period ever for the national team in terms of performance, but that has papered over cracks that have grown wider in recent years.”
Buchanan said in his campaign that he wanted to bring unity where there had been fragmentation and Pickering’s final act as chairman will be to propose a series of governance measures, including the appointments of independent non-executive directors and a woman, at October’s annual general meeting of clubs. “The rugby public are walking away and the game us under threat,” said Buchanan, the Llanelli team manager, last month. “We need an injection of faith.”Buchanan said in his campaign that he wanted to bring unity where there had been fragmentation and Pickering’s final act as chairman will be to propose a series of governance measures, including the appointments of independent non-executive directors and a woman, at October’s annual general meeting of clubs. “The rugby public are walking away and the game us under threat,” said Buchanan, the Llanelli team manager, last month. “We need an injection of faith.”