We’ll get it right: WRU President pledges to tackle racist, homophobic and sexist bullying

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Welsh Rugby Union chairman Ieuan Evans has promised a task force including outside expertise will be set up to help tackle allegations of racist, homophobic and gender-based bullying within the governing body.

A number of former WRU employees took part in a BBC Wales investigation which was screened on Monday night with accusations relating to their time with the organisation.

Charlotte Wathan, managing director of women’s rugby until her resignation last February, says a colleague’s offensive comments left her in tears and sick, while another anonymous contributor says she considered suicide because of his experiences with bullying and sexism at work.

Incidents of racism and homophobia are also alleged.

It sparked calls from fans for WRU chief executive Steve Phillips to be sacked, while the game’s main sponsors in Wales expressed serious concerns over the damaging fallout.

Asked specifically about Phillips’ future, former Wales captain Evans said: I have complete confidence that we will be successful.

This includes Steve. He is the chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union. We will do things right.

I can only sincerely and sincerely apologize to everyone involved.

As the father of two young women, I found this deeply distressing and can only apologize to anyone affected by it.

The WRU is an iconic institution in Wales built on enormous goodwill.

You work hard to get that goodwill, but the goodwill needs to be replenished, and people are now craving comfort. We will address the issues, drive the changes and bring back that trust and faith.

It’s not about individuals, it’s a collective. It’s all of us. We must rise to the challenge together.

I can’t go back, but I promise you we’ll start making the necessary changes right away.

Steve Phillips, Managing Director of WRU

I want to make sure that our game and our organization are fit to be a modern and outward looking organization. I think that’s our driving force here.

My ambition here is to bring in outside expertise and establish a working group to make sure that they look at everything and that we establish and develop the right culture to ensure that it is this welcoming institution that we truly believe that she is capable of being.

It can’t be an internal review, it has to be external with that real expertise that we need from other organizations. Other organizations, sports, entities, could have had similar experiences.

Phillips wrote to WRU member clubs, saying: We will be reviewing our structures and procedures to ensure that our employees find a company that is caring and sensitive to their needs and well-being.

I can’t go back, but I promise you we’ll start making the necessary changes right away.

Much of the recent commentary has been hard to hear, but I implore anyone anywhere in the game who is affected by any of the issues raised to contact us immediately.

Fan group JSG Cymru wrote to Evans calling for Phillips’ dismissal and the Principality Building Society, sponsors of the National Stadium of Wales in Cardiff and supporters of Welsh grassroots football, described the allegations as extremely concerning.

Evans continued: We have to sit down with the board imminently. In other words, I don’t think there’s a long period of time here.

We cannot abdicate responsibility. We have to be at the center of it all, and my responsibility is to lead that.

I hope there is still a residue of that goodwill, but it has been tarnished, there is no doubt about it, and we have to fix it and earn that trust.

Nothing matters more than that. If you were to offer me a Grand Slam (of the Six Nations) or a successful result and solve this problem, then culture comes first.

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