Collier-keywood Not Forced Out Of Wru - Tierney

ByGareth Griffiths

BBC Sport Wales

Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) main executive Abi Tierney has denied departing president Richard Collier-Keywood was forced retired by nan governing body's board.

It was announced successful March that Collier-Keywood will time off his position successful June pursuing nan extremity of his first three-year term.

Collier-Keywood had been facing a ballot of no-confidence astatine a WRU bonzer wide gathering (EGM) held connected Monday.

That mobility was dropped pursuing news of his exit, although nan EGM still went ahead.

There person been claims nan 64-year-old barrister was forced retired by nan WRU committee and it was not his determination to leave.

When Tierney was asked straight astir this, she replied: "No, that wasn't nan case."

Tierney insisted it was Collier-Keywood's determination to not activity a 2nd word re-election.

"I respected his individual decision," said Tierney.

"He feels affirmative astir doing it astatine nan extremity of a term.

"It would person been acold harder if he'd conscionable decided astatine immoderate constituent to measurement down aliases anything.

"He'll person done his 3 years and I deliberation achieved a batch successful that clip truthful I'm pleased for him."

Tierney thanked Collier-Keywood aft he took complete immoderate of her responsibilities erstwhile she was forced measurement distant temporarily past twelvemonth arsenic she dealt pinch her crab diagnosis.

"I, astir apt much than anybody, person seen nan effort and committedness he's put successful during nan past 3 years," she said.

"He stepped successful and became much hands-on erstwhile I was off, truthful I was massively grateful for that connected a individual level."

The WRU person said nan recruitment process to switch Collier-Keywood will statesman successful May pinch nan thief of outer consultants.

The governing assemblage has besides doubled down connected nan arguable argumentation to trim nan number of men's master sides successful Wales from 4 to three.

Tierney was asked whether nan caller chair would person to work together pinch that policy.

"We haven't had that chat arsenic a committee astatine nan moment, truthful I wouldn't want to springiness an reply to that," she replied.

"We'd person to transverse that span erstwhile we travel to it. That would beryllium a committee assignment and committee decision."

Tierney added nan connection to spell to 3 teams was a unanimous committee decision.

"It wasn't Richard's," she said, "so if a caller chair came successful and said they wanted to instrumentality pinch 4 aliases spell to three, that would beryllium a robust speech pinch nan remainder of nan committee that felt that 3 is nan correct answer.

"So anybody applying for nan chair position would request to understand nan board-decision making process."

Tierney has outlined why nan WRU continues to scheme to trim nan number of master teams which it says will thief merchandise money to put successful Wales' improvement pathway.

"I deliberation if we stay pinch nan position quo we'll proceed to spot uncompetitive location teams," said Tierney.

"As a consequence of that you perchance will suffer benefactors complete time, instrumentality numbers will proceed to drop, players won't want to play there.

"So there's tons of risks astir this."

Tierney could not reply erstwhile nan last determination will beryllium made, though stated successful nan EGM that a hold will harm Welsh rugby's future.

The 4 regions - Cardiff, Ospreys, Scarlets and Dragons - will play successful nan United Rugby Championship (URC) adjacent play but location are still nary guarantees what happens next.

"I wish I could springiness information, and I support getting asked that mobility tons of different ways, but I can't springiness you a day astatine nan moment," Tierney said.

"We're successful analyzable processes and they are difficult decisions that are going to past a generation.

"We've sewage to make judge they're not rushed, they are nan correct decisions and successful nan champion liking of Welsh rugby."

Tierney besides confirmed nan WRU is down £6m connected forecasted summons income for nan 2025 Autumn Nations Series and 2026 Six Nations.

There were 124 of 284 clubs and districts successful attendance astatine nan EGM, either successful personification aliases online.

The EGM was called by 50 clubs pinch 1 district, Central Glamorgan Rugby Union (CGRU), nan main architects of nan meeting.

It became an informal chat aft nan CGRU's 3 motions were dropped pinch nan WRU outlining its plans followed by a mobility and reply session.

Tierney believes nan Union has backing for its plans.

"I don't ever return support for granted," she said.

"I've been retired astatine each nan districts recently, listening to them.

"If location was a beardown groundswell of nary support from nan clubs, it would person been acold much than nan 50 clubs [calling for an EGM].

"The mostly of those clubs were successful 2 districts, truthful it was very overmuch astir nan speculation astir Ospreys alternatively than each nan different clubs.

"I've had tons of clubs interaction maine and nan national to springiness their support, saying they didn't springiness support to nan motions."

What nan EGM sorely lacked was nonstop answers to nan astir pressing questions, pinch nary caller specifications emerging.

The outstanding rumor surrounds really Welsh rugby gets from 4 to 3 teams pinch vocal guidance from fans and politicians.

A batch of nan interest has been raised pinch nan WRU announcing successful January that Ospreys owners Y11 Sport & Media are nan preferred bidder to bargain Cardiff, who Welsh rugby's governing assemblage rescued from management successful April 2025.

The first play of exclusivity betwixt nan WRU and Y11 Media & Sport lasted 60 days, past extended by a further 30 days, which will extremity connected 22 April - 2 days earlier Cardiff and Ospreys play each different successful a convention match.

Tierney said she was assured of a determination by that time but refused to estimate connected questions arsenic to whether immoderate prospective woody has fallen through.

"I don't want to remark connected it because we're successful a confidential, commercialized process and arsenic soon arsenic we tin I will," said Tierney.

"I would for illustration to but I can't."

If nan Cardiff woody falls through, it could time off nan imaginable of a consecutive shootout betwixt Ospreys and Scarlets for nan westbound Wales licence, pinch a squad guaranteed successful nan Welsh superior and Dragons favourites to declare nan eastbound licence.

In nan EGM, Tierney raised nan imaginable of a imaginable merger betwixt Ospreys and Scarlets aliases a caller entity being formed.

She was much circumspect afterwards astir nan anticipation of a conflict betwixt Scarlets and Ospreys to survive.

"That isn't needfully what will happen," said Tireney.

"There's a fewer different permutations there, you've sewage to make each determination because they're truthful inter-related.

"I don't want to commencement to talk astir that process yet, we've sewage to make immoderate decisions arsenic a committee and erstwhile we do that we'll pass it.

"We've sewage to return each determination astatine a clip but I conscionable can't unreserved this."

Separately, nan WRU has had to woody pinch ineligible action instigated by Scarlets complete nan Cardiff takeover pinch some sides refusing to publically merchandise specifications of nan case.

When straight asked astir nan outcome, Tierney again refused to remark connected nan Scarlets case.