Rebels issue demand for RFU chief Sweeney sacking

The situation astatine the apical of English rugby erupted connected Thursday evening arsenic grassroots rebels broke screen to request Bill Sweeney beryllium sacked, lone for the Rugby Football Union to cull a petition for a ballot connected their under-fire main executive's future.

The collective, which includes 10 second-tier Championship clubs, assorted refereeing bodies and lower-level clubs from crossed the country, had called for the RFU committee to disregard Sweeney "as soon arsenic practicably possible".

Sweeney's £1.1m compensation package, which coincided with grounds fiscal losses for the governing assemblage and a circular of occupation losses, topped their database of complaints.

However, they besides attacked the RFU leadership's nonaccomplishment to bash much to prevention liquidated clubs specified arsenic London Irish, Wasps, Worcester and Jerseys Reds, a botched roll-out of caller rules astir tackle tallness successful 2023, the wealth spent successful paying retired the contracts of fired England coaches and a "loss of assurance and spot successful the enactment of the game" among "the thousands of volunteers who support the crippled alive".

The rebels person the enactment of 152 clubs and bodies, good wide of the threshold of 100 needed to trigger a Special General Meeting and a ballot connected Sweeney's future.

However, the RFU swiftly dismissed the telephone for a acme gathering of their adjacent 2,000-strong rank and a last confrontation implicit Sweeney, claiming the no-confidence question lacked the indispensable signatures.

"The missive contains a fig of inaccuracies," the RFU added successful a statement. "It does not comply with the applicable requirements and is truthful invalid arsenic a requisition for an SGM."

The organisers of the question present program to resubmit their paperwork and importune they volition unit the contented to a vote.

"The RFU tin play for clip each it likes, but this is simply a wide question by a stronger, agreed team," said a spokesperson for the collective.

"Splitting hairs astir the rules of what is oregon isn't a valid ailment signifier is simply postponing the inevitable.

"It would surely beryllium amended for the RFU to respect the wishes of much than 150 members - truthful acold - who question to invoke their close nether Twickenham's ain regulations to clasp the administrators of the crippled to relationship astatine a Special General Meeting."

Former president Tom Ilube, portion of the RFU's renumeration committee who approved Sweeney's caller bonus, stepped down successful December.

His departure and the motorboat of an autarkic reappraisal of the strategy that boosted the wage of Sweeney and 5 further executives has not quelled discontent though.

If Sweeney's critics tin supply the paperwork to amusement the indispensable support, a peculiar wide gathering would beryllium called successful the midst of the men's Six Nations.

Several nine officials explained their determination to enactment the no-confidence motion.

"The caller determination of the RFU to grant bonuses to elder unit is beyond belief," said David Morton, caput of sixth-tier Carlisle.

"The RFU support trumpeting assemblage rugby arsenic the lifeblood of the game, portion astatine the aforesaid clip seemingly treating them similar paupers."

"Every nine I cognize wants to spot alteration astatine the top, caller enactment and a caller attack to taking English rugby guardant astatine each levels," added Paddy McAlpine, president of Chichester, who are besides successful tier six.

However, the 9 nonrecreational referees employed by the RFU distanced themselves from the motion, saying they had not been consulted by the referees' national down it and added they "have not endorsed immoderate statements oregon meetings".