Welsh Rugby Union signs legal agreement with EHRC to ‘tackle workplace culture’

The Welsh Rugby Union has lurched from crisis to crisis over the last couple of years (Getty Images for Barbarians)

The crisis-hit Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has signed a legal agreement with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) in a bid to tackle a “toxic” workplace culture.

An independent review last year revealed that sexism, racism and hopmophobia were not adequately challenged within the union, with employees not protected from discrimination and harassment.

Recently, meanwhile, the WRU apologised for its handling of the contracting process for the senior women’s side after admitting there had been severe failings.

In the last 18 months, both the senior men’s and women’s sides have threatened strike action. Ioan Cunningham departed his role as head coach of the women’s side earlier in November, while men’s counterpart Warren Gatland is under pressure after overseeing a winless year.

The review, commissioned in February 2023, made 36 recommendations after finding evidence of bullying an “over-reliance” on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs).

Wales have endured a difficult year on and off the field (Getty Images)

“Everyone has the right to a workplace where they are free from discrimination and harassment,” Baroness Kishwer Falkner, chair of the EHRC said. “Employers are responsible for ensuring their policies and practices protect their employees and create a workplace culture where staff can thrive without fear.

“As the governing body of Wales’s national sport, the Welsh public rightly expects the highest of standards from the WRU. This legal agreement is an important step in the WRU rebuilding the trust of its staff and the wider nation, and we’re pleased that the WRU has already started to make progress on the actions required.”

Under the terms of the agreement, the WRU has committed to:

• introduce mandatory training on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) for all employees, board members, management and senior leadership
• introduce mandatory training on harassment and dealing with complaints of sexual harassment for people managers
• work with an external adviser to review and amend its corporate workplace policies, including a specific sexual harassment policy
• introduce a standardised system to record and monitor discrimination and harassment complaints
• review the use of NDAs
• implement all outstanding recommendations from the independent review

The agreement comes at a time of renewed scrutiny on the Welsh rugby hierarchy.

The “One Wales” strategy designed to give the sport in the country a definitive five-year plan has been delayed as the WRU negotiates a new financial deal with the four regions.

Chair Richard Collier-Keywood, in post since July 2023, and chief executive Abi Tierney, who took up her role at the start of this year, have vowed to see through change.

“We both feel it’s a privilege to do these roles,” said Collier-Keywood to the BBC. “One of the reasons the committee chose me, and I together with others chose Abi, is because we’re both resilient people.

“We never believed it would be easy. We’re committed to going through with this.”