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RFU CEO Sweeney survives no-confidence vote at Special General Meeting

On Thursday, Bill Sweeney, the Rugby Football Union chief executive, survived a vote of no confidence that was triggered by a community game uprising.
The uprising, led by the Whole Game Union , was sparked by a bonus and pay scandal, including a £358,000 bonus for Sweeney and nearly £1 million in bonuses for five other executives, amidst a record £37.9m operating loss and 42 staff redundancies.
The motion to remove Sweeney received 206 votes, representing 29.10% of the 708 total votes cast, with 36 abstentions, while a counter-motion presented by the RFU to give the community game more independence was supported by 554 votes.
Following the vote, interim chairman Sir Bill Beaumont, who stepped in after Tom Ilube's January resignation in response to the crisis, described the outcome as "emphatic" and stated, "We are listening and taking action."
Despite surviving the vote, the WGU, while satisfied with promises made by the RFU and agreeing to shelve a motion to sack the RFU board, vowed to resume hostilities if governance and structural reforms are not implemented by the annual general meeting in June, signaling that change is expected and a further outbreak of conflict remains a possibility.

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Evening Standard

Lean Right

Rugby Football Union chief Bill Sweeney survives vote of no confidence

Interim chairman Sir Bill Beaumont has described the outcome as ‘emphatic’ and ‘decisive’

4 days ago·London, United Kingdom

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RTÉ

Center

England's rugby chief survives no confidence vote

England's Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney has survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership to signal a ceasefire in the civil war that had broken out in the game.

4 days ago·Ireland

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The Independent (US)

Lean Left

RFU chief executive Bill Sweeney survives vote of no confidence

Sweeney was backed by 65.82 per cent of the vote.

4 days ago·United States

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Channel News Asia

Center

RFU CEO Sweeney survives no-confidence vote at Special General Meeting

LONDON :Rugby Football Union CEO Bill Sweeney convincingly survived a vote of no-confidence at Twickenham on Thursday as a grass-roots revolt failed to get close to the majority of votes necessary to trigger his removal.The motion to remove him got 206 votes, with 466 against and 36 abstentions. A coun

4 days ago·Singapore

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The Independent

Lean Left

Bill Sweeney’s future on the line as RFU chief faces no-confidence vote

Sweeney indicated in January that he intended to stay on until the end of the 2027 World Cup cycle.

5 days ago·London, United Kingdom

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radiojackie.com

The chairman of the Rugby Football Union, Bill Beaumont, is calling for unity.

The chairman of the Rugby Football Union, Bill Beaumont, is calling for unity. It’s after chief executive, Bill Sweeney, got the backing to continue in the role at the Twickenham based institution. He survived a no-confidence vote which was called after he took home £1.1 million last year at a time of record losses. Beaumont says the support from 65% of members was a “decisive outcome” but insists the concerns raised have been “duly heard”.

3 days ago

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