Politics forces Gareth Davies out as WRU Chairman

Legendary Welsh flyhalf and outgoing chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), Gareth Davies has expressed his disappointment at not being re-elected to the governing body.

According to the BBC, Davies will be replaced by former Welsh and B&I Lions wing Ieuan Evans.

Davies had spoken at length to the WRU clubs urging them to keep him on to provide stability during these tumultuous times caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the changes being rung within the WRU.

"I'm disappointed that the work we did wasn't acknowledged," Davies said.

"Only three months ago the Union were being praised for all the work we were doing in contacting the clubs, supporting the clubs financially and explaining to them what was going on so they could go to the government and get help from them."

Davies had gone as far as writing to all the clubs giving them the reasons to re-elect him and that "steady hands on the tiller" were imperative during these difficult times for the Union.

He was standing to be a National Council member for a third term after initially being elected to it ahead of becoming chairman in October 2014

The race for the position of Chairman was hotly contested with both former B&I Lions wing Evans and former Welsh center Nigel Davies challenging for the position however the clubs finally opted for Evans

"We've been proud to support them [the clubs] and made sure that the money for community clubs was protected," Davies told BBC Radio Cymru's Welsh language programme "Dewi Llwyd ar Fore Sul" (Dewi Llwyd on Sunday Morning).

"It was quite disappointing that clubs couldn't see what we'd done to make sure that the same money went to them.

"That's not happened with other Unions and we've seen the troubles the RFU have encountered over the past few months."

Davies blames Welsh rugby politics in being a major factor as to why he didn't retain his position.

"We had a review of the Union around two or three years ago and some people lost their seats on the board," Davies added.

"It's interesting that one or two of them possibly persuaded clubs in their areas to choose other people, that would have been part of it.

"And I also have to accept that people want a fresh face. I changed the Union's rules which stated a chairman could only serve six years.

"The only thing I had suggested was that I stay on [as chairman] for another year because of everything that's going on.

"The chief executive [Martyn Phillips] is leaving and our independent non-executive directors are leaving next year.

"So a lot of people at the top of the Union are leaving over a short period of time and in order to have some continuity during a problematic period I offered to stay for another year.

"But at the end of the day the clubs have spoken."

Source: BBC Sports