The IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts, while disappointed with recent headlines negatively portraying the union’s attitude towards women’s rugby, denied that sexism is a problem within his organisation, instead hailing its multi-cultured nature and diversity.
In response to accusations of sexism and bias, whether conscious or unconscious, in the IRFU, Potts said: “Well, it’s a societal issue. Certainly, in the organisation that I’m leading, sexism isn’t a problem. We have processes and procedures in place to deal with any allegations of that in the organisation, so I don’t think it is a problem with the IRFU.
“But on a widespread basis across Irish rugby of course, like society, there are cases of it unfortunately. We highlighted in our report last December and we set out a plan to deal with it.
“Anne-Marie’s appointment,” he said in relation to Anne-Marie Hughes, IRFU head of equity, diversity and inclusivity “is a response to that issue which we hope will address it.
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“In Irish rugby we want to be welcoming and inclusive for everybody, and that’s certainly the commitment I’m leading and Irish rugby is leading,” said Potts, who noted that the Union’s 240 staff includes 35 per cent women and is comprised of 15 nationalities.
Potts was speaking at the IRFU’s Women In Rugby press briefing, at which the Union announced the appointment of eight new women’s national talent squad (WNTS) pathway staff to be based at five provincial centre of excellence hubs as part of their €6.4m investment in women’s rugby.
They have also appointed an athletic performance coach and pathway talent coach to each of the four provinces.
Specifically in response to the article in the Daily Telegraph which said alleged that a prominent figure in Irish rugby at a rugby function said: “Who gives a f**k about women’s rugby in Ireland?” among other criticisms, Potts said: “The alleged statement by somebody at the dinner certainly doesn’t represent the views or the position of anybody involved in the IRFU that I am working with or in the wider union committee.
“I accept for sure that we need to communicate better. I think we need to communicate what our organisation is truly like which is far more diverse and inclusive than is portrayed by some.
“So, I was disappointed by the article and I was disappointed that it gives an impression in relation to the IRFU that simply isn’t the case. But the comments are not reflective of what we stand for, for sure.”
From winning a Grand Slam in 2013 and reaching a World Cup semi-final in 2014 to ending up with a wooden spoon in 2023, has been quite a fall. Conspicuous by his absence was the IRFU performance director David Nucifora, who is in Toulouse with the Irish women’s team this week as they seek to qualify for next year’s Olympics in the final leg of the Women’s World sevens at the weekend. Potts said he preferred to look forward than back to past failings which he believes has been addressed.
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The union’s chief executive said they also met the departed Irish women’s head coach Greg McWilliams after the Six Natons and “we both agreed that it was time to bring in a new voice for the team.”
Gillian McDarby, the IRFU’s highly influential new head of performance and pathways, stressed: “It was a mutual decision with Greg. He wasn’t fired. I just want to put that out there. It was a mutual decision with both of us.”
“In terms of his replacement, John McKee is currently head coach at the moment, and we’ve actually started the process so it will take us a couple of months to get the right person in place.”
The curious case of 26-times capped Exeter hooker Cliodhna Moloney was also raised. In response to Anthony Eddy affording some of the failed last World Cup qualifying campaign to the team rather than the IRFU, Moloney famously tweeted: “I could have sworn slurry spreading season was spring”.
Strictly speaking, it’s not fair to say that Moloney was cast adrift from the Irish squad, as she played in subsequent games against the USA and Japan, but she was a notable absentee in the recent Six Nations despite apparently strong form for Exeter.
The IRFU have been highly sensitive to any critical or dissenting voices, especially within, over history but Potts denied that her non-selection was in some way a reprimand or a warning to other players.
“No, it’s not. I’m not going to comment, and I don’t get involved, in selection. That’s a matter for high performance and the coaches, but it’s certainly not a case that Cliodhna Moloney is being silenced by the IRFU for speaking out. That’s the not the case, certainly.”
The IRFU’s latest investments in improving the pathways in women’s rugby followed the independent Women In Rugby report, published last December, which recommended that the women’s All-Ireland League be restructured from nine teams to two divisions of six apiece.
However, as a result of lengthy and seemingly tortuous dialogue with the clubs judging by the 10-minute address on the issue from Fiona Steed, the IRFU’s chair of the women’s subcommittee, and a failure to find agreement on the AIL’s format, a top flight of nine clubs will seemingly remain next season.
However, there will be an increased, home-and-away, 16-game regular season format. Only one of these rounds will clash with the Celtic Challenge, along with three AIL Cup weekends.
“We’re going against what the report suggested, which was ‘six plus six′ following consultation and going to the clubs outside of the WAIL,” admitted Steed, who said the winners of a round-robin between the four provincial league winners will be promoted to a 10-team WAIL.
“I’ll get shot for saying we’re following the men but some of the things the men do, they do quite well and we can take snippets of that and modify it to what we need to achieve in the women’s game,” added Steed.
“You hear stuff about the women’s subcommittee and who is leading it? This is me. I’m it, okay,” said Steed.
“When my credibility is questioned, I’m sort of like, ‘Really?’ OK, that’s fine, I’m happy to be questioned but I think I have the knowledge, experience and depth of rugby in me to chair that committee and bring the stakeholders together and to work for that. Just in case anyone was in doubt as to who is chairing that women’s subcommittee, that’s me.”
