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Stunning late twist in World Rugby election as vote comes down to one man

By Online Editors
(Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

The fate of the next World Rugby chairman is believed to sit in Fijian Prime Minster Frank Bainimarama’s hands.

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With the Six Nations and Sanzaar countries locked in a classic north versus south standoff over the future direction of the global game, the Herald has learned one vote from the small nation in the south pacific could swing the World Rugby election Bill Beaumont or Agustin Pichot’s way.

Sunday’s vote, via email, is understood to be that close.

Fiji’s influence comes into sharp view after being forced to withdraw their nomination, Francis Kean, from World Rugby’s all-powerful executive committee after his manslaughter conviction, allegations of homophobia while he was head of Fiji’s prison service, among other frightening claims, were laid bare in the Sunday Times and by Pacific rugby advocate Dan Leo recent days.

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The scandal exposed Kean’s position on the World Rugby council since May, 2019, as an embarrassment for the sport which now threatens to derail Beaumont’s chairman campaign.

In confirming Kean’s withdrawal, World Rugby said: “While it is important to stress that any allegations must be validated, following dialogue with World Rugby, the Fiji Rugby Union recognises the seriousness of the allegations made and the need for them to be fully investigated, and that it is in the best interests of the sport that Mr Kean steps down from the Council and his Executive Committee candidature be withdrawn.”

Kean, Bainimarama’s brother-in-law, immediately stepping down following immense public scrutiny carries major ramifications in Fiji’s vote for the World Rugby chairman.

Kean’s place on the World Rugby council – a wider governing group with minimal influence – will be taken by Fiji Rugby Union chief executive, John O’Connor.

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Pivotally, Kean cannot, however, be replaced on the World Rugby executive committee, effectively the game’s global board, as the deadline for nominations has ceased.

Kean’s withdrawal allows the seven remaining nominations to the executive committee to proceed without the need for a vote, which strips Fiji of the chance to exert any genuine influence on the future of the game.

Fiji seconded Beaumont’s nomination for chairman, but Kean’s withdrawal dramatically alters the context of their vote.

A vote for Beaumont or Pichot could be Fiji’s one chance to play their one card in the next four-year cycle.

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Kean’s nomination for the executive committee was seconded by French rugby president, Bernard Laporte, who is running alongside Beaumont for the vice-chairman role.

But with Kean now out of the picture and the executive committee position gone with him, Fiji have no obligation and arguably little to gain by supporting Beaumont’s reinstatement.

This is where Fiji Prime Minster Bainimarama, also the Fiji Rugby Union president, comes into play.

Bainimarama first assumed charge in Fiji via military coup in 2006, which led to New Zealand and Australian governments sanctioning him and other senior officials.

Fourteen years on, Bainimarama has since won two elections and normalised international relations.

With the vote for World Rugby chairman poised on a knife-edge, Bainimarama now faces a monumental decision that could shape the future of the global game.

His choice is either to stick with Beaumont and the established northern rugby powers who, to this point, have succeeded in protectionism and staunch resistance to change, or Pichot’s vision for a global game which would elevate Fiji into tier-one competitions.

The Herald understands former Argentine captain Pichot has garnered enough support from other previously undecided tier-two nations to recoup much of Sanzaar’s six-vote shortfall against the Six Nations unions.

Ultimately, that leaves Bainimarama in a position of power, and there is hope among Sanzaar he will perform a late U-turn to support their vision for change.

Siding with the north could consign Fiji to largely fighting for familiar crumbs over the four years after requests for a fair slice of revenue from tests at money-printing northern venues were repeatedly rejected.

In Pichot, however, Fiji’s path towards a fully-integrated place in South Hemisphere rugby, and with it a more equitable future, may finally crystallise.

Samoan Prime Minister, Tuila’epa Sa’ilele Malielegaoi who, like Bainimarama, runs the country’s rugby union, is believed to have promised Beaumont his vote at last year’s World Cup.

In exchange, Beaumont has pledged to review eligibility changes that would allow high profile players with Pacific Island heritage to switch allegiance back to those nations after being captured by the likes of the All Blacks and England.

The question now is which way Bainimarama will cast Fiji’s decisive vote.

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J
Jon 6 hours ago
Jake White: Are modern rugby players actually better?

This is the problem with conservative mindsets and phycology, and homogenous sports, everybody wants to be the same, use the i-win template. Athlete wise everyone has to have muscles and work at the gym to make themselves more likely to hold on that one tackle. Do those players even wonder if they are now more likely to be tackled by that player as a result of there “work”? Really though, too many questions, Jake. Is it better Jake? Yes, because you still have that rugby of ole that you talk about. Is it at the highest International level anymore? No, but you go to your club or checkout your representative side and still engage with that ‘beautiful game’. Could you also have a bit of that at the top if coaches encouraged there team to play and incentivized players like Damian McKenzie and Ange Capuozzo? Of course we could. Sadly Rugby doesn’t, or didn’t, really know what direction to go when professionalism came. Things like the state of northern pitches didn’t help. Over the last two or three decades I feel like I’ve been fortunate to have all that Jake wants. There was International quality Super Rugby to adore, then the next level below I could watch club mates, pulling 9 to 5s, take on the countries best in representative rugby. Rugby played with flair and not too much riding on the consequences. It was beautiful. That largely still exists today, but with the world of rugby not quite getting things right, the picture is now being painted in NZ that that level of rugby is not required in the “pathway” to Super Rugby or All Black rugby. You might wonder if NZR is right and the pathway shouldn’t include the ‘amateur’, but let me tell you, even though the NPC might be made up of people still having to pull 9-5s, we know these people still have dreams to get out of that, and aren’t likely to give them. They will be lost. That will put a real strain on the concept of whether “visceral thrill, derring-do and joyful abandon” type rugby will remain under the professional level here in NZ. I think at some point that can be eroded as well. If only wanting the best athlete’s at the top level wasn’t enough to lose that, shutting off the next group, or level, or rugby players from easy access to express and showcase themselves certainly will. That all comes back around to the same question of professionalism in rugby and whether it got things right, and rugby is better now. Maybe the answer is turning into a “no”?

35 Go to comments
j
john 9 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

But here in Australia we were told Penney was another gun kiwi coach, for the Tahs…….and yet again it turned out the kiwi coach was completely useless. Another con job on Australian rugby. As was Robbie Deans, as was Dave Rennie. Both coaches dumped from NZ and promoted to Australia as our saviour. And the Tahs lap them up knowing they are second rate and knowing that under pressure when their short comings are exposed in Australia as well, that they will fall in below the largest most powerful province and choose second rate Tah players to save their jobs. As they do and exactly as Joe Schmidt will do. Gauranteed. Schmidt was dumped by NZ too. That’s why he went overseas. That why kiwi coaches take jobs in Australia, to try and prove they are not as bad as NZ thought they were. Then when they get found out they try and ingratiate themselves to NZ again by dragging Australian teams down with ridiculous selections and game plans. NZ rugby’s biggest problem is that it can’t yet transition from MCaw Cheatism. They just don’t know how to try and win on your merits. It is still always a contest to see how much cheating you can get away with. Without a cheating genius like McCaw, they are struggling. This I think is why my wise old mate in NZ thinks Robertson will struggle. The Crusaders are the nursery of McCaw Cheatism. Sean Fitzpatrick was probably the father of it. Robertson doesn’t know anything else but other countries have worked it out.

36 Go to comments
A
Adrian 11 hours ago
Will the Crusaders' decline spark a slow death for New Zealand rugby?

Thanks Nick The loss of players to OS, injury and retirement is certainly not helping the Crusaders. Ditto the coach. IMO Penny is there to hold the fort and cop the flak until new players and a new coach come through,…and that's understood and accepted by Penny and the Crusaders hierarchy. I think though that what is happening with the Crusaders is an indicator of what is happening with the other NZ SRP teams…..and the other SRP teams for that matter. Not enough money. The money has come via the SR competition and it’s not there anymore. It's in France, Japan and England. Unless or until something is done to make SR more SELLABLE to the NZ/Australia Rugby market AND the world rugby market the $s to keep both the very best players and the next rung down won't be there. They will play away from NZ more and more. I think though that NZ will continue to produce the players and the coaches of sufficient strength for NZ to have the capacity to stay at the top. Whether they do stay at the top as an international team will depend upon whether the money flowing to SRP is somehow restored, or NZ teams play in the Japan comp, or NZ opts to pick from anywhere. As a follower of many sports I’d have to say that the organisation and promotion of Super Rugby has been for the last 20 years closest to the worst I’ve ever seen. This hasn't necessarily been caused by NZ, but it’s happened. Perhaps it can be fixed, perhaps not. The Crusaders are I think a symptom of this, not the cause

36 Go to comments
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