At the time of writing World Rugby boasts 132 members and affiliate nations and at the forthcoming World Cup nine of the 20 participating teams are from non-English speaking nations.
So how many of the 12-strong World Rugby Executive Committee come from the non-English speaking rugby world? You possibly won’t be surprised to hear that the answer is none, zero, nought.
The election of Ireland‘s Su Carty and Ada Milby – American-born and bred but representing Asia via her position with the Philippines Union – may have given women a welcome place on the board but the dominance of English speakers remains total.
For the record the board consists of chairman Bill Beaumont, vice chairman John Jeffrey, Mark Alexander, Bart Campbell, Carty, Lord Mervyn Davies, Bob Latham, Milby, Brett Robinson, Jonathan Webb, lan Gilpin and Angela Ruggiero, the latter from the USA.
At the end of a week in which English cricket has been hammered in a report for its lack of diversity and prejudices – not to mention racism – these things matter.
Rugby is a big inclusive family, it’s one of sport’s superpowers but that diversity badly needs to be better represented in the corridors of power.
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