Bill Sweeney has decided to continue as CEO of the Rugby Football Union until the 2027 World Cup and will only step down if the board calls for his resignation.
March 27 was set as the date for a special general meeting to demand Sweeney’s departure from the Rebels club, angered by the bonus and pay scandal that has gripped Twickenham.
Sweeney refused to apologize for his Long-Term Incentive Plan (LTIP), which saw him receive a £358,000 bonus on top of a £742,000 pay rise last financial year.
Additional bonuses totaling £1m were paid to five other executives despite the RFU reporting record operating losses of £37.9m and laying off 27 staff.
Chairman Tom Ilube has already resigned in response to the crisis and Sir Bill Beaumont has taken over as interim chairman, but Sweeney has defended his record in the role he has held since 2019.
“I’m committed to getting to the end of 2027, which is definitely the end of this cycle. I’ve never thought about stepping down,” said Sweeney, who had previously not set an end date for the exit.
“It may sound strange and I don’t welcome SGM, but it gives us the opportunity to bring a lot of things to the table that haven’t been done before.
“I look at all the planning we’re putting into the game, how it’s done, and my personal influence. There is unfinished business here, and I believe I am the right person to see it through. So I didn’t consider resigning.
“The easiest thing to do right now is to leave. Given the challenges, the easiest option is to say, ‘I’ve had enough.’ I don’t feel anywhere near that. I still feel like I have real value to add.
“The moment I look in the mirror and say, ‘I don’t feel like I’m adding any value to this,’ I walk away very happy. The greatest satisfaction I get from doing this job is adding value to the sport I love.”
Sweeney wanted to defer LTIP payments, recognizing the perception created by taking LTIP at a time during its four-year financial planning cycle when losses were inevitable due to the World Cup and employees were being laid off.
The bonus scheme was set up to persuade management to stay at Twickenham in the post-pandemic era.
“It is the board of directors that decides whether to introduce a bonus program. I have nothing to say about that,” Sweeney said.
“The board has decided to retain management through the Covid recovery plan at what is an extremely difficult time. I can’t tell you whether they were right to do it or whether I thought of going or not.
“After coming out of Covid I was 100 per cent committed to the RFU but the board doesn’t see it that way.”
Sweeney said Steve Borthwick had not set the minimum number of wins needed for the Six Nations and rejected suggestions that the England coach and his backroom staff’s high turnover under his predecessor Eddie Jones had been a “mess”.
“We all want stability. Of course you will too. I’m not saying it’s shambolic. “We think the environment in that camp is a positive environment,” he said.
“People have personal preferences and when something happens they choose to leave. That happens all the time.”
