ALL men are equal, but some are more equal than others as World Rugby continue to demonstrate with Orwellian ruthlessness. There was much fanfare in Tokyo this week when Uruguay were finally granted a place on the World Rugby Council, meaning that body now boasts 52 voting members, but true democracy is still just a distant dream.
Ten nations still hoover up 59 per cent of the available votes with the Six Nations all having three delegates and three votes apiece which is replicated by the four teams in the Rugby Championship. Quite how Italy manage to maintain their place on the top table remains a mystery but once a member of the cosy club, always a member. What these ten want – often decided long before formal council discussions and debate – is always enacted. Constitutionally there is no way of preventing it.
Japan, by special dispensation after they won the bid for RWC2019, now receive two votes and the nine official T2 nations get one each. That means the three Pacific Islands – Fiji, Tonga and Samoa – who between them provide an estimated 17 per cent of the world's professional rugby players have the same voting power en masse as Italy who boast just two professional teams. Ditto Scotland.
Even the lowly T3 nations – represented by 12 Region associations – between them have 12 votes. There are anomalies, everywhere. Spain, currently world ranked 16th and whose Women's side have qualified for the last two World Cups – qualification for two World Cups is one criteria for Council status – don't have a vote yet while sides below them like Canada, Romania and the USA do.
Ah, you might point to poor governance issues recently but that, rightly, hasn't stopped others with similar issues.
Samoa, Romania and Fiji have all gained their vote since the Council was restructured in 2015. It's all a bit of a dog's dinner but that is always the case when those with power try to hang on and resist change.
