Bill Sweeney determined to stay in RFU role as he refuses to apologise for taking bonus
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Bill Sweeney is determined to continue as Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive until the 2027 World Cup and will only step down if the board demands his departure. March 27 has been set as the date for the special general meeting that will see Sweeney face calls for his removal from rebel clubs angered by the bonus and pay scandal that has gripped Twickenham.
Sweeney declined to apologise for the long-term incentive plan (LTIP) that has resulted in him being paid a bonus of £358,000 on top of an increased salary of £742,000 for the last financial year. Further bonuses totalling almost £1million were paid to five other executives despite the RFU reporting a record operating loss of £37.9m and making 27 staff redundant.
Chairman Tom Ilube has already resigned in response to the crisis - Sir Bill Beaumont has taken over on an interim basis - but Sweeney defended his record in a role he has held since 2019. "I'm certainly committed to go through to the end of this cycle, which is the end of 2027. I've never thought about stepping down," said Sweeney, who has not previously set an end date for his exit.
"This might sound strange and I don't welcome an SGM, but it does bring the opportunity to get a lot of things out on to the table that perhaps haven't been on there before. "I look at all of the initiatives that we're putting into the game, how they've come about and my own personal influence...I think there's unfinished business here and I'm the right person to see it through. That's why I haven't considered stepping down.
