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Voting for The next president of World Rugby opened on Monday with the 68-year-old former England captain Bill Beaumont faces competition from former Argentine skipper Agustin Pichot.
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Beaumont or Pichot, 45, must claim a majority of the 51 votes to be elected within a four-year period with the results to be announced on May 12.
Beaumont, who retired 12 years before the sport turned pro in 1995, campaigned on the promise of opening up the sport.
Current Vice President Pichot, who hung up his boots in 2009 after a club career in France, would like to see the body modernized and has used the hashtag #GlobalGame on social media.
The pair were behind scrapped plans for a Nations Championship, as countries were concerned about the possible decline from the upper level of the global game.
“Going forward, I’m sure there will be a variant on that,” Beaumont told AFP last week.
Pichot said he would bring different aspects to the competition in addition to the Tier 1 men’s teams.
“I will start discussions with the Nations Championship plan, but I am not sure if that will be the result,” he told AFP earlier this month.
“It will talk about emerging nations, more money for the women’s game,” she added.
Beaumont has overseen a $ 100 million relief package for the game during the coronavirus pandemic, while Pichot sees the outbreak as an opportunity for the sport to restart.
The election process has been overshadowed by the resignation of Fiji Rugby Union (RUF) President Francis Kean from the world body’s council last Tuesday after accusations of “rampant homophobia.”
Beaumont’s offer was supported by the FRU, but World Rugby stressed that the previous lock’s nomination came from the FRU, rather than Kean.
Fiji’s support for Beaumont is seen as a counterweight to Pichot, who is believed to have strong support among other second tier nations.
Continental body Rugby Europe, which has two votes, previously said it supported Beaumont in an electronic voting process that runs through Thursday.
