Filed under: Rugby Union, Rugby World Cup, England Rugby
No wonder Sir Clive Woodward would rather stay with the British Olympic Association than re-join the RFU. England's World Cup-winning coach has long been mooted as the ideal candidate to fill the vacant performance director post but repeatedly expresses his desire to stay where he is.And the wisdom of his decision to turn his back on the organisation where he enjoyed the most success is beginning to come to light. Because the in-fighting and agenda-pushing culture of the RFU resembles that of a small-town social club rather than an organisation that is supposed to deliver a World Cup in England in four years' time.
Martyn Thomas, the RFU chairman who championed Woodward's suitability for the all-encompassing role has been asked to step down, following an inquiry into the RFU's governance practices over the exit of chief executive John Steele earlier this year.
Which would have been the signal for a clear way ahead for Twickenham, if Thomas had not objected to being told to relinquish his post - which in turn would have effectively ruled out a role in the build-up to the 2015 World Cup - by threatening Judge Jeff Blackett, the disciplinary officer in charge of the enquiry, with legal action.
Blackett wanted to make public his report on how the RFU are governed, as he has done with every one of his rulings since taking on the role, from the procedures over Harlequins Bloodgate scandal to every citing case which appears before him.
But Thomas and the board did not like this one bit and the RFU chairman threatened to sue Blackett for defamation if the sections of the report questioning his role in the Steele affair were made public.
Even though Blackett was gagged, The Guardian newspaper on Tuesday morning shed light on the "murky waters" in which some board members move in, by claiming that the organisation is populated by people interested in publicising their own agenda rather than the greater good of the game.
The wrangles at the headquarters of the game in England have even reached the attention of the Government, with sports minister Hugh Robertson telling the RFU to get their house in order.
Robertson said: "I have been clear that I want all sports bodies to have the best possible governance structures. Recent events have proved that clearly is not the case with the RFU.
"I urge the RFU to take the necessary action and appoint a strong chair, chief executive and independent non-executive directors that have the required skills to take the sport forward."
Robertson's requests would match those of any party interested in seeing the sport's governing body move beyond its current state - one that is not doing a very good job of coming to terms with the demands of professionalism and one desperately trying to cling on to the old, unfair ways of conducting themselves.
Woodward embraced professionalism as coach, which in turn brought England the World Cup in 2003. And until the people in the corridors of power at Twickenham catch up, he is likely to continue to give the RFU a very wide berth.
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Source: http://www.fanhouse.co.uk/2011/07/12/england-rugby-union-rfu-clive-woodward/
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