Consulations Into RFU Governance Launched

The future of rugby governance in England is under the spotlight as a nationwide consultation has officially opened, inviting everyone involved in the game to help shape how it is run. From today (30 April), players, clubs, coaches, volunteers, administrators, and fans are encouraged to have their say on proposals aimed at modernising the Rugby Football Union’s (RFU) structures and ensuring every voice is heard in the game’s key decisions.

This public consultation, which will run until 30 June 2025, is the latest step in the work of the Governance and Representation Review Group. Chaired by Malcolm Wharton CBE, the group was established last year to examine how the RFU can evolve to better reflect the people who play, support, and manage the sport across the country.

Over the past year, the group has gathered extensive feedback through the National Rugby Survey, focus groups, interviews, and analysis of other sports’ governance models. Their findings highlighted several challenges facing the current system, including slow and complex decision-making, lack of transparency, insufficient diversity and representation, unclear roles between the Board and Council, and heavy administrative demands on volunteers.

In response, the group has put forward a set of proposed reforms designed to simplify and strengthen governance while embedding the voices of the rugby community at every level. Among the options on the table are significant changes to the RFU Council — potentially replacing its 63 members with a smaller national advisory group or a new structure of game representatives integrated into decision-making bodies, including proposed Regional Growth Boards.

Other suggestions focus on boosting volunteer support and creating a devolved regional system, giving local rugby communities greater influence over decisions that directly affect them.

Malcolm Wharton CBE, Chair of the Review Group, called on the rugby community to seize this chance for meaningful change:
“This review represents an opportunity for real change. We want to work with the game to identify a progressive, inclusive, agile and local approach to governance, where we can deliver greater transparency built on a culture of shared ownership so rugby can thrive across the country.”

The RFU, which is required to review its governance structures every five years, will consider all feedback from the consultation before the group delivers its final report and recommendations to the RFU Council later this year.

To further engage the community, a series of webinars and online sessions will be held in the coming weeks, giving participants the chance to hear directly from the Review Group and ask questions about the proposals.

The consultation is open now until 30 June 2025. Find our more by clicking here.