RFU chief executive vows to stay despite bonus row

A defiant Bill Sweeney has vowed to continue as chief executive of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU) until the 2027 Rugby World Cup, even as he faces a revolt within the game over his tenure.

- HARRY LATHAM-COYLE

Sweeney is facing a special general meeting (SGM) after uproar within English rugby union, both over his acceptance of a large bonus at the end of a financial year in which the RFU reported record losses, and what the rebels perceive as mismanagement of the sport.

With the SGM set for 27 March, the embattled executive insisted that he remains a force for good within rugby and expressed his belief that he is the right man to transform an organization that he says needs reshaping.

Mr. Sweeney refused to apologize for accepting his £358,000 bonus as part of a Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP) designed to keep key staff at the organization. He admitted that he knew it would cause uproar and explained that he had asked to defer the payment.

Constitutionally, the RFU CEO cannot be directly removed from his role by the member clubs, but with chair, Tom Ilube already having resigned amid the furore, the SGM is likely to further pile pressure on the under-fire chief. A vote can be taken to request that the RFU board terminate Mr Sweeney’s contract.

But the 67-year-old did not directly confirm that he would step down should that occur, and dismissed speculation that he was looking to walk away after the Women’s World Cup is hosted by England in August and September.

“When the vote comes in, it’s a board decision,” Mr Sweeney said. “I’ve never thought about stepping down. I don’t welcome an SGM, but it does bring the opportunity to get a lot of things out on the table that perhaps haven’t been on there before. There’s a lot of misinformation out there at the moment and this gives us the chance to rectify that.