, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I'm not aware, to my knowledge. But that is not to say that there aren't. Our national governing bodies, and the sports that they represent, of course reflect society. So, who knows? But I have not had those kinds of concerns brought to my attention. I don't…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I'm not saying that there are none; I'm saying that I'm not aware—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I am not aware of those, Tom.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
So, you're asking me the question about what I was briefed on; what I was briefed on is, in very general terms, a very, very wide portfolio, just in sport alone, that comprises 66 national governing bodies. So, I've not been immune, even before I was a…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, but from a Government point of view—. Rugby and football, of course, are hugely important, because they're big sports, and so on, but so is every other sport. I've given evidence to this committee about participation in sport, and so on—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
No. In very general terms—. Again, you will appreciate that my portfolio is very, very broad. There are 66 national governing bodies in sport alone.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
What I was told on appointment?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Siwan Lillicrap, who was the captain. I met with them after his appointment about the—. If you remember, one of the recommendations of the report was that women should be given professional contracts, and so Nigel Walker was brought in to implement all of…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
No. In part, I think you could interpret that because we haven't seen action that's been swift enough to change, but during the course of my conversations, there was progress on a number of fronts and you've heard about them today. The thing that brought it…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
There were no formal mechanisms. We would have meetings with the WRU as and when, as I say, unlike with sponsored bodies where I meet them on a regular basis and there are direct mechanisms for my interaction and dealings with them.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
So, very different to the relationship with our sponsored bodies, for obvious reasons. Our sponsored bodies are directly funded by Welsh Government. The WRU is not, and I can talk a little bit more about our funding relationship with the WRU in a moment if…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Not—. No.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Not at that time, no.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I can only talk to you about what I've done since I've been Minister, so I can't comment on—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Not at that point, no.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
No. We were dealing with the issues that Tonia raised in her letter.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Not on the specifics of what subsequently came out in the BBC—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
No, it was more to do with—[Interruption.]
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I didn't receive private correspondence. I think it would be fair to say, because Tonia is a colleague and friend, that we had conversations about things like that, you know, I've bumped into Tonia at rugby matches and the like, but I'm referring to…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
I don't think it was appropriate for me to act publicly on something that had not been brought to me formally. These things were in the public domain. I was having those conversations with the WRU about the wider issues of governance, and how they were going…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
Yes, and we responded to that letter, and the response to that letter was following consultation with officials about how best we could respond, and the constraints that were on us in terms of responding. I would have liked nothing more than to have had some…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
It wouldn't have been appropriate for me to have gone, if you like, searching out complaints. What I responded to Tonia was that the people who had complaints needed to make those complaints formal. There is a process. I'm a Government Minister. I have…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Allegations surrounding the Welsh Rugby Union: Evidence session with the Welsh Government
In general terms, yes.
