FILE PHOTO: Rugby Union - Rugby World Cup Tournament Opening Press Conference - Roland Garros, Paris, France - September 4, 2023 Chairperson of World Rugby, Bill Beaumont during the press conference REUTERS/Sarah Meyssonnier/File Photo
(Reuters) - Former England captain and World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont has been appointed board chair of the Rugby Football Union on an interim basis after Tom Ilube announced he was stepping down from the position.
Ilube stepped down on Friday down after it emerged that huge bonuses were paid to CEO Bill Sweeney and other executives despite the English governing body posting a record operating loss. The RFU Council set up an immediate review into the circumstances surrounding the bonuses.
Beaumont led England to a Grand Slam in the 1980 Six Nations Championship. Rugby's English County Championship was renamed the Bill Beaumont Cup in his honour in 2007.
The 72-year-old was RFU chairman between 2012 and 2016. He was chairman of World Rugby for eight years before stepping down last month.
"I am honoured to be taking on the role on an interim basis and would like to pay tribute to the great work and passion of Tom Ilube," Beaumont said in a statement on Friday.
“We now must look forward and I hope I can help to unite the game and drive forward the game of rugby in England at both an international level and in the community game.”
The RFU said Beaumont’s appointment will need to be ratified by its council. "Recruitment for a permanent chair will commence as soon as practical," the governing body said.
(Reporting by Chiranjit Ojha in Bengaluru; Editing by William Mallard)
