The Rugby Football Union chief executive, Bill Sweeney, has survived a vote of no confidence in his leadership at a special general meeting at Twickenham.
A motion of no confidence in Sweeney and proposal for the RFU directors to terminate his contract was rejected by 466 votes to 206 after an 80-minute meeting.
The RFU interim chair, Bill Beaumont, called for unity following the vote and described the outcome as “emphatic”, but the rebels have not given up yet. Sources have indicated that the Whole Game Union, an alliance of Championship, grassroots clubs and refereeing bodies, will now demand another SGM with a motion for the entire RFU board to resign.
Sweeney’s margin of victory was two to one of those who voted, the vast majority of them doing so online rather than travelling to Twickenham. Only 672 votes were registered, however, a turnout of little more than 50% of RFU member clubs, so the chief executive cannot claim to have won the resounding backing of the game.
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