Steve Phillips: Welsh Rugby Union chief executive set to resign

Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Steve Phillips is set to leave his role.

A BBC Wales Investigates programme raised allegations of misogyny and racism in Welsh rugby’s governing body.

Phillips, 58, had faced pressure over the governing body’s handling of the issues raised in the programme.

All four regions backed calls by a Cardiff director for Phillips and the board to leave, while the Welsh Rugby Players Association said they were “appalled by the allegations”.

Phillips had initially vowed to continue in his role, but it is understood he has heeded the growing calls for him to stand down.

Two women complained of a “toxic culture”, while another former employee heard a racist term used in a work meeting.

Former head of Wales women’s rugby Charlotte Wathan said she considered suicide and claimed a male colleague joked in front of others in an office environment that he wanted to “rape” her.

The WRU says that particular accusation was independently investigated and remains unsubstantiated and it cannot comment further due to a legal settlement.

Amanda Blanc, now chief executive of Aviva insurance company, told the WRU it had a “deep rooted” culture and behavioural problems and that a union-commissioned review into the women’s game was “beyond disappointing” and verged on “insulting to women”.

In her WRU leaving speech, Ms Blanc, on the 2021 Forbes most influential women in the world list, said she was questioned whether she had “sufficient business experience” to be the chairwoman of the WRU’s professional board.

Ms Blanc, a UK Government women in finance champion and Sunday Times Businessperson of the Year, quit after two years as Wales’ Professional Rugby Board (PRB) chairwoman in November 2021 because she felt she was “not being listened to” and the WRU “needed modernisation”.

In her leaving speech, Ms Blanc recalled a “truly offensive discussion” about reducing the sanctions for an elected WRU member after he had made misogynistic comments in public, including that “men are the master race” and women should “stick to the ironing”.