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AP
Sir Clive Woodward says that Sir Bill Beaumont must act quickly to address the key global problems of rugby.
Sir Clive Woodward has backed his fiery assessment of the World Rugby President’s controversial decision by challenging re-elected Sir Bill Beaumont to tackle the game’s key issues in a “100-day plan.”
Woodward, who called to account for the support of the Six Nations bloc to Beaumont for his retention as World Rugby president, as well as Fiji and Samoa for their support when it seemed to go against their best interests, has described this as “one of the most crucial junctures in sports history” in his last column for the UK Daily mail.
In it, he asked Beaumont, the former England captain who on Sunday secured a second term at the helm of the world body, to adopt the political “100 days” as the crucial period to enact change after an election. “You need to act and quickly,” wrote Woodward, who devised England’s lone win at the World Cup in 2003.
“There are protests over the governance of the game, smaller nations are fed up with being treated as second-class citizens, and the Covid-19 crisis threatens the financial crisis at the club and test level,” he wrote.
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“[Also] I have not remembered such a distance between the northern and southern hemispheres for a long time. “
Woodward’s 100-day game involves five key points: Completed promised governance review; clear decisions about ‘project’ players and eligibility changes; develop a plan for Fiji, Samoa, Japan, and Georgia; show financial leadership; and get defeated challenger Gus Pichot back on board with some capacity at headquarters.
The former head knight coach noted that a change in World Rugby’s archaic weighted voting system was not only fair for the growing international game, but was necessary if the sport wanted to meet strict IOC requirements.
He wrote that it should be “fast and transparent with everyone in the rugby world able to read and debate their findings. A time frame should be established.”
He also criticized the “project” players (imports working through nationality changes on the grounds of residents) and calls for easing rugby’s stance against dual eligibility.
Shaun Botterill / Getty Images
Clive Woodward: “It has been a long time since I remember a confrontation between the northern and southern hemispheres.”
“Powerful nations like Ireland do not need to recruit South Africans, while Wales does not need to increase its side with the Kiwi centers,” he wrote.
He was also against allowing players from the Pacific Islands to become their home countries after representing major unions, asking “what kind of message do you send to players who remain loyal if they know that the ‘rejected’ from Australia, New Zealand and other places will make you be competing for your places?
Woodward also challenged the world body to support Japan, Fiji, Samoa and Georgia in their quest to join elite competitions, saying that, due to the remains of the Covid-19 sports shutdown, it was imperative that World Rugby show the necessary leadership. .
“We need a global strategy. World Rugby has to show leadership now, speak to all parties and present a post-Covid-19 squad.”
Last but not least, he asked Beaumont to offer his rival an olive branch for the President’s job. “We need your energy and passion,” wrote Sir Clive of Pichot.
