Bill Beaumont re-elected as President of World Rugby after Agustin Pichot’s challenge

Former England captain Bill Beaumont will lead World Rugby for another four years after being reelected on Saturday, beating Agustin Pichot with a first-round majority.

The sport’s governing body said Beaumont, 68, won by 28 votes to 23 against Pichot, the former Argentine midfielder who has served as Beaumont vice president since 2016.

Beaumont said he plans a progressive reform of governance, with an integrated approach to the global calendar; prioritizing the player’s well-being; an accelerated promotion of the women’s game; and giving the smaller nations more parties against the larger nations.

“I am honored to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as president of the international federation once again,” said Beaumont. “I would like to thank Gus for his friendship and support for the past four years. Against each other in this campaign, we align ourselves in many ways and I have the utmost respect for him.”

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Pichot accepted his defeat in good grace, congratulating Beaumont in a tweet: “Congratulations Bill! Not this time, thank you all. [for] support from the bottom of my heart. “

The president of the French rugby federation, Bernard Laporte, the former France coach, becomes Beaumont’s new vice president after appearing without opposition.

Beaumont begins his second term after a council meeting on May 12 and pledged to “ serve for all ” in the broader interests of rugby.

“We must be united in our drive to make this great sport even better, simpler, safer and more accessible,” he said. “We must listen to the players, fans, competitions, our unions and regions, and make decisions that are in the best interests of all with our strong values ​​at the forefront. ”

Beaumont was a formidable blockade as a player and captained England to the Five Nations Grand Slam title in 1980. He has proven himself to be a popular president with the established powers of the game.

Pichot, 45, was seeking to become the first president outside of the Six Nations or major nations of the southern hemisphere. He wanted to give less established rugby nations a greater voice at the boardroom level, bring the game to a younger audience, and revive the League of Nations proposal abandoned less than a year ago.

It was favored by the less wealthy nations of the sport, its appeal perhaps increased by heavy financial concerns amid the coronavirus pandemic. Beaumont’s thoughts immediately went to helping rugby through a major financial crisis following the outbreak of the pandemic.

“[We] You must implement an appropriate return to rugby strategy that prioritizes the well-being of the players, while optimizing any opportunity to return to international rugby this year, “Beaumont said.” I am determined to ensure that the spirit of unity and solidarity that has characterized our work So far, in response to an unprecedented global Covid-19 pandemic, is the cornerstone of a new approach. ”

Laporte considers it important to unite the northern and southern hemispheres and all professional leagues “around a common objective to define a strong and lasting future.”

Beaumont had a solid first term as president, and last year’s World Cup in Japan was a great financial success and in terms of attracting new fans. Japan fully embraced the tournament, making it one of the most festive and popular roars it has ever enjoyed.

His nomination had been supported by the Fiji Rugby Union, whose president Francis Kean was expelled from the World Rugby Council after allegations of discriminatory conduct.