Former judge appointed to chair WRU investigation

FORMER Court of Appeal judge Dame Anne Rafferty will chair the review panel examining the culture and behaviours at the Welsh Rugby Union, it has been announced.

The Rt Hon Dame Anne Rafferty DBE PC, who has been “selected for her qualifications, expertise, and independence”, has also finalised the terms of reference for the review, which has been promised by Welsh rugby bosses following damning allegations of sexism, misogyny and racism at the governing body. The WRU says it will publish the review’s findings and recommendations in full.

The independent review will begin on February 13, and the chair will report progress to the WRU and commissioning advisory group on a monthly basis.

The review will focus on the period from 2017 to now, although emerging evidence may prompt the chair to amend the time-frame. It will examine the culture within the WRU, the actions and behaviour of leadership at all levels, the WRU’s response to individual complaints set out in the BBC Wales Investigates programme, the extent to which employees feel able to voice concerns or to challenge inappropriate and discriminatory language and behaviour, and the effectiveness of the WRU’s whistleblowing policy and procedures.

A WRU statement issued yesterday said: “The WRU will fully co-operate with the independent review, providing all information and access required by the panel. The WRU will implement all recommendations from the report.”

Additional panel members with “suitable skills and experience” are set to be nominated next week by Sport Resolutions, an independent provider of dispute resolutions and investigation services. They will then be appointed by the chair. The panel may also commission expert advice or assistance.

Sport Wales has advised the WRU on the appointment of an independent body to lead the review, the cost of which will be met by the WRU, which has commissioned the review through Sport Resolutions.

Previous reviews on the women’s game in Wales (2021), a governance report (2022) and a review of equality standards (2022) will be provided to the panel. The panel is expected to conduct interviews, collate written submissions and gather other relevant evidence.

Dame Anne was called to the Bar in 1973, becoming a recorder in 1991, a High Court judge in 2000 and a Lord Justice of Appeal and Privy Counsellor in 2011. She retired from the Bench in July 2020.

The WRU said it “wishes to encourage all individuals who wish to contribute to engage with the review”. A dedicated email address – wru@sportresolutions.com – will give direct access to the Sport Resolutions administrative team.