The Welsh Rugby Union's search for a new chair to replace Richard Collier-Keywood is set to accelerate over the next month, with the appointment coming at a critical juncture for the future of Welsh rugby.
London-based executive search firm Gatenby Sanderson has been tasked with identifying the strongest candidates for the role. First-stage interviews are due to take place in the week beginning August 24, with final interviews scheduled for the week of September 3.
Concerns over scope and direction
Several potential candidates who have spoken to Gatenby Sanderson are understood to have been concerned about the scope they would have to influence the WRU's strategy. One candidate told WalesOnline, on condition of anonymity, that the process had given the impression that the role would be largely about executing the direction already set by the board, most notably its plan to reduce the number of professional teams in Wales from four to three.
The candidate claimed there was an expectation that any successful applicant would accept the reduction to three professional sides as effectively a fait accompli, even if they personally disagreed with the policy.
Background and restructuring challenges
It has also been suggested the WRU was looking beyond traditional sporting backgrounds, with candidates from government and public-sector environments also being considered. An intimate knowledge of Welsh rugby, they said, was not necessarily regarded as essential.
The WRU has determined that, once PRA25 expires, there will be only one professional team in west Wales unless the Ospreys and Scarlets merge. At present, neither club appears to have any appetite for such a move. The WRU is also embroiled in a legal dispute with Swansea Council, while the Scarlets board are unlikely to surrender their independence without a formidable fight.
Financial and trust issues
The WRU has already postponed plans to TUPE regional academy staff across to the governing body. The full financial picture remains unclear, but there are concerns within Welsh rugby about the organisation's financial health.
For years, the WRU's relationship with the four professional clubs has been one of the biggest obstacles to progress. That relationship has to improve if the governing body is to have any prospect of taking the game forward.
Authority and future prospects
The position could prove to be a poisoned chalice. The current board is staking its credibility on a controversial restructuring programme, while opposition to the proposals remains intense. There is no guarantee that the board itself will survive if the plans fail to win sufficient support.
Indeed, if the WRU cannot deliver its proposed restructuring, the question of whether the board should collectively accept responsibility, and ultimately resign, is likely to become increasingly difficult to avoid.
It would take a brave person to accept the job. It would take an even braver one to believe the job will be easy.
