Beaumont can’t ignore pressure to reform game

There is a new team at the helm of World Rugby.

Well, that’s not entirely true. But Bill Beaumont, the former England and Lions captain, was re-elected with a new running mate – defeating his former partner –in the recent election to chairman of the governing body of rugby across the globe.

Beaumont was standing alongside Bernard Laporte, chairman of French Rugby, against Augustin Pichot, the former Pumas captain.

Beaumont’s first term had seen him partner with Pichot, so there must have been some fallout along the way in the last four years.

The election has divided opinion in the game’s corridors of power.

The Englishman is seen as a steady pair of hands by many. But for those in the southern hemisphere, there is a sense that this is a northern Hemisphere stitch-up, where the power brokers will remain the Unions involved in the Six Nations, not least because of the voting protocols.

It is often the case that the balance of power lies with the most-dominant countries where global governance is concerned – football and cricket being two examples.

Both Beaumont and Pichot talked in their manifestos about reform of the international game, harmonisation of the global rugby calendar, and greater integration between so-called Tier One and Tier Two nations, so that they played against each other more often.

The crucial difference between the two was the rate of pace of change.

Pichot seemed impatient and eager to accelerate change, while Beaumont talks a good game but is less inclined to act.

Pichot also appears to be a singleminded individual.

As such, his agenda is sometimes conflicting, and what seems to be a good idea one moment, seems fraught with problems the next – as evidenced by his approach to theworld League, which would have prevented Tier Two nations playing against Tier One nations outside of theworld Cup.

Hardly an inclusive or developmental strategy for the game.

There is no doubt that the world game is facing an unprecedented crisis at the moment and Beaumont has his hands full – even if he had hoped to make gradual changes, phased in over a number of years.

He may be forced to act faster now in the current environment.

The Covid-19 crisis is putting many countries under unprecedented financial pressures. USA rugby has already filed for bankruptcy and Australian rugby is also in dire straits.

CVC have paused their investment in the Six Nations. The financial outlook is not good.

Perhaps experience and stability is best for the game. But Beaumont cannot afford to ignore pressures to reform the game from Southern Hemisphere nations, particularly in trying to create a global calendar.

The time for that particular change could not be better timed.

EMAIL DAVID: SPORT@ SUNDAYPOST. COM