Press Release From The Welsh Rugby Union

As you will no doubt recall, the membership voted for a change to the formation of the old General Committee at an EGM in Cardiff last May. Those changes come into play at this year’s elections.

The General Committee used to comprise of 27 members. The new WRU Board of Directors will be made up of 16 elected members, the WRU Group Chief Executive and a nominated representative of the Premier Division clubs.

A number of long standing members of the General Committee have decided not to seek re-election. Among them are Terry Vaux, Lance Roderick, Barry Michael and Huw Lewis. In addition, Alan Phillips has decided not to stand for one of the posts of National Representative, in order to concentrate on his full-time role as National Team Manager.

The Union would like to thank all those who have served the game on the General Committee down the years for their outstanding service.

The reduction in numbers from the old General Committee to the slimmed down Board of Directors has been achieved by reducing the number of District Representatives (District A has dropped from three to two, and Districts E and F from two to one), dropping the Anglo-Welsh, Welsh Schools, Welsh Youth, and Welsh Districts representatives and axing the role of Honorary Treasurer. There has also been a reduction from five to three in the number of National Representatives.

The election of the National Representatives will be conducted in two ways. There will be a postal ballot for two seats, which will be contested by four of the current five National Representatives on the General Committee – David Pickering, John Ryan, Sam Simon, and Howard Watkins. The closing date for voting in this election is first post on Monday, 9 June.

There is only one nomination for the post of National Representative with special responsibilities for financial affairs, Glanmor Griffiths.

Among the nine Districts, there will be a vote in only District G, where Selwyn Walters (Lampeter RFC) and Anthony John (Kidwelly RFC) will contest the one seat. The vote will be taken at a meeting of the District G clubs at Camarthen Athletic RFC on Wednesday, 21 May.

The candidates nominated for the seats in the other Districts are as follows:

District A (2 seats) Mal Beynon (Brynmawr RFC), Ken Hewitt (Abergavenny RFC).
District B (2 seats) Roy Giddings (Pencoed RFC), Russell Howell (Pentyrch RFC).
District C (2 seats) Humphrey Evans (Aberdare RFC), Ray Wilton (Tylorstown RFC)
District D (2 seats) Alan Jones (Bryncoch RFC), David Rees (South Wales Police RFC/Cefn Cribbwr RFC)
District E (1 seat) Geraint Evans (Dunvant RFC)
District F (1 seat) Brian Fowler (Ammanford RFC)
District G (1 seat) Anthony John (Kidwelly RFC) or Selwyn Walters (Lampeter RFC)
District H (1 seat) John Jones (Pembroke RFC)
District J (1 seat) Peredur Jenkins (Dolgellau RFC)

Once again, there are two candidates for the post of WRU President, with David East (South Wales Police RFC), challenging Sir Tasker Watkins (Glamorgan Wanderers RFC). This vote will be conducted by postal ballot, with the closing date being first post on Monday, 9 June.

The successful candidates will take up their positions on the new WRU Board of Directors after the AGM on Saturday, 26 July.