Fit and proper tests suggested for World Rugby chiefs
IT was interesting to see the recommendations of the working group led by former British sports minister Hugh Robertson into the accusations of vote-rigging with backroom deals for countries who voted for the ‘right’ candidate in last May’s World Rugby presidential election.
Robertson’s review was launched in June and was World Rugby president Bill
Beaumont’s idea, even though World Rugby had already dismissed the claims as ‘unsubstantiated and erroneous’.
Robertson’s group have suggested a fit and proper person test for officials, after Sir Bill Beaumont saw off the challenge from pro-reformer Agustin Pichot amid rumours that Fiji had been promised by France preferential treatment if they voted for Beaumont.
After Beaumont’s win, former Argentina scrum-half Pichot resigned and was replaced as vice president by Bernard Laporte, who is the FFR president.
If I was a sceptic I would think it offers a possible explanation for the rather strange inclusion of Fiji in the Autumn Nations Cup as the only southern hemisphere team, when in truth an all-northern hemisphere contests would have been logical, safer and cost less.
Another recommendation was for a target of at least 40 per cent of women on committees and player representation throughout all the committee structures of World Rugby.
As much as I hate to say this, as I am sure I will be accused of being sexist, why should there be at least 40 per cent given that the total percentage of females playing the game worldwide is less than 25 per cent of the total playing population?
At senior rugby level it is even less as the global number of adult women players is just over ten per cent of those playing in the adult game.
I certainly believe that there should be a number of representatives proportionally equal to the number of any particular group of individuals who take part in the game, but to artificially enforce an over-representation of any group for whatever reason would, I feel, just be playing to the crowd.