The Rugby Football Union leadership received a resounding vote of no-confidence in its resolutions to change the RFU’s democratic structure at an SGM held at Twickenham on Friday, when they were rejected by a large majority of member clubs.

The margin of RFU defeat, with clubs under the banner of the Whole Game Union (WGU) winning 55 per cent of the 855 votes to 45 per cent for the RFU, left many within the RFU Board hierarchy shell-shocked.
This was because the WGU, which lost a no-confidence motion in RFU Chief Executive Bill Sweeney at an SGM just over a year ago after polling 206 votes ...