If you are an RFU voting club, you should have had the calling notice etc. for the RFU SGM on 24th April and the Warwickshire RFU Executive committee has very serious concerns as to the changes to the Governance of the RFU that are proposed and the impact this will have.

We have arranged a special club meeting for Wednesday 1st April at Old Coventrians RFC starting at 7.30 pm and a complimentary buffet will be available for all attendees.

Ideally, we would like to see two club officers in attendance as it is most important that your club exercises its right to vote if it is a voting club on the motions being put to the game at the RFU SGM that has been arranged for Friday 24th April 2026 regarding the Governance of the RFU going forward.

Therefore, we have called this meeting so that we can fully explain and discuss the implications that the proposals going forward will have and you can then make up your mind as a club as to how you wish to exercise your vote.

However, it is most important that your club exercises its right to vote at the RFU SGM either way as usually the number of clubs that do vote is small and this is such an important change being proposed that all of our clubs should at least have their say.

Please see below and attached from Matt Smith our RFU Council member:-

Dear Member Club
We are writing ahead of the Special General Meeting at which clubs and Constituent Bodies (CBs) will be asked to vote on the proposed RFU governance reforms. You will have now received the formal documentation from the RFU, including the resolutions on which clubs and CBs are asked to vote.

The attached letter sets out and explains the position of those Council members who voted against the proposed changes at the recent Council meeting. Together, we represent Constituent Bodies with approximately 600 voting member clubs. Our concerns are structural, constitutional, and directly affect club representation.

We urge you to review the attached documents carefully and to consider the implications of the proposals. All of us are committed to representing the interests of clubs in our CBs and to ensuring that any governance changes genuinely serve the best interests of the Community Game.
In summary the 3 main points of the Resolutions are:
1.⁠ ⁠Removal of Council’s decision-making powers - takes away authority from elected representatives.
2.⁠ ⁠Centralisation of power in Board-appointed structures (e.g. Talent Team) - the system marking its own homework and selecting its own successors.
3.⁠ ⁠Restricting clubs’ constitutional rights (thresholds for member-initiated resolutions and SGMs) - clubs can’t challenge leadership decisions.

In other words, representation is being weakened, power is being centralised and member safeguards are being reduced.
In addition, you’ll find attached a Clubs Voting Template should you decide to nominate me as your Proxy Vote at the SGM on 24 April.

For and on behalf of:-Steve Mead – Somerset RFU, Nic Bracken – Essex RFU, Chris Brookes -Notts, Lincs and Derbys RFU, Dave Clarke – Lancashire RFU, Roger Clarke – Kent RFU, John Constable – Dorset & Wiltshire RFU, Paul Deakin – Lancashire RFU, Jackie Dyer – Notts, Lincs and Derbys RFU, Neil Haagensen – Leicestershire RFU, Charlie Hemmings – North Midlands RFU, Gary Henderson – Sussex RFU, Paul Kaminski – North Midlands RFU, Roger Pierson – Easter Counties RFU, Andrew Smart – Middlesex RFU, Matt Smith – Warwickshire RFU, Dick Tyler – Cambridge University RFU, Rob Walsh – Oxfordshire RFU, Tug Wilson RAF RFU

Should you have any immediate questions please contact me directly.
Best regards
Matt Smith
RFU Council Member
Warwickshire RFU Chair

07970 955439
mattsmith@rfu.com