World Rugby respond to Pacific Rugby Players Welfare comments

World Rugby respond to Pacific Rugby Players Welfare comments

World Rugby have released a statement responding to The Pacific Rugby Players Welfare's dossier reporting alleging bribery and corruption in the election of Bill Beaumont and Bernard Laporte as World Rugby chairman and vice-chairman, respectively.

The Veilomani Report – so named after the Fijian term for loving one another – cites French newspaper L’Equipe in reporting that ‘negotiations intended to ensure Fiji’s vote for the Beaumont-Laporte ticket [when logic would suggest Fiji’s vote went to their rival Agustin Pichot, the champion of smaller nations], sees the FFR [French Rugby Federation] having committed, according to our information, to host a match against Fiji each year as well as national team and U20 camps [at the Marcoussis National Centre of Rugby, with the French U20s]’.

The report goes on to condemn World Rugby’s inaction ‘and complicity’ in the state capture of the Fiji Rugby Union (FRU). It alleges that there is no free and independent process for the election of FRU officials in contravention of World Rugby by-law 6(e) amid state interference.

The head of the FRU, Francis Kean, is the brother-in-law of Fiji’s president. According to the report, World Rugby has ‘tacitly if not explicitly … facilitated the state of affairs in Fiji’.


World Rugby has since responded with a statement saying they 'strongly refutes unsubstantiated and erroneous claims' made by the organisation and that the governing body is 'completely satisfied that the 2020 chairperson election'.

The full statement read:


World Rugby strongly refutes unsubstantiated and erroneous claims made by Pacific Rugby Players Welfare and their CEO Dan Leo regarding voting influence within the international federation’s recent election process and other governance matters.

World Rugby is completely satisfied that the 2020 chairperson election was undertaken in accordance with a robust process with Sir Bill Beaumont elected in a fair and appropriate manner.

World Rugby is an advocate of the promotion of best-practice governance structures in sport as evidenced by the recently published ASOIF report on sports governance which has independently reviewed World Rugby’s governance and ranked World Rugby as a top-performing federation.

Reflecting this commitment, World Rugby continually reviews its decision-making structures and is currently undertaking a governance review which is being independently chaired by Sir Hugh Robertson and features player representatives appointed by International Rugby Players on the working group. The review scope includes examining criteria for a fit and proper person test for elected members.

Furthermore, World Rugby only recognises International Rugby Players as the global representative body for players. Within its structures, players from the Pacific Islands are represented via Pacific Rugby Players.

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