RFU Board and Presidential roles ratified at AGM
The Rugby Football Union member clubs have ratified the decisions made by the RFU Board.
The decisions include to appoint Brigadier James Cook OBE as a Council Elected Director, Yasmin Diamond CB as Independent Non-Executive Director, Paula Carter as Chair of the Governance Standing Committee, Phil de Glanville as Senior PGB Representative, Deborah Griffin OBE as a World Rugby Representative and Jonathan Webb as a World Rugby Representative and Council Elected Director.
The President, Senior Vice-President and Junior Vice-President for 2022/23 were similarly elected with Nigel Gillingham OBE taking up the role of President, Rob Briers as Vice-President and Rob Udwin as Junior Vice-President.
All appointments will undertake a thorough induction and hand over before formally taking on their new roles from 1 August when the current post holders’ terms come to an end.
Brigadier James Cook OBE has had a life in rugby union, from his days as a Warwickshire schoolboy captain to his role now as East Dorset Dockers RFC President. Having served 25 years in the Army and 17 years in the Army Rugby Union; he is also the Vice Chairman of the Army Rugby Union and Head of Governance. James joined the RFU Council in late 2015, Chairs the Rugby Growth Sub Committee, is a member of the Community Game Board, and is a member of the Game Management System SteerCo, and Adult Competitions Advisory Group.
Speaking about his new role James said: “Having started playing minis rugby with Old Reigatians in 1976 I never thought I’d be appointed to the RFU Board. I hope that as a life long rugby player, coach, referee and administrator, who stills gets his boots dirty officiating, playing and most importantly coaching Andover U15 girls, I can bring contemporary community experience and a view of how RFU policies land in our clubs. As such I hope that this experience will blend well with my military background in strategy and transformation. I acknowledge I still have plenty to learn in how the RFU delivers both community and professional rugby but can’t wait to get stuck in.”
Yasmin Diamond CB is a highly accomplished communications professional with over 20 years’ experience working across public, private and government sectors. She is currently Executive Vice President of Global Corporate Affairs at FTSE 100 global hotels group IHG Hotels & Resorts, responsible for all global corporate affairs activity, ensuring that it supports and enables the companies broader strategic priorities. In 2011, Yasmin was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the New Year's honours list in recognition of her career in government communications, which included Director of Communications at the Home Office. As well as being a member of the Executive Committee at IHG Hotels & Resorts, Yasmin sits on the Board of Trustees for the British Council, the UK's international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, and is a Board Member of the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance. She is regularly recognised for her work in promoting diversity and inclusion, including recently being named Involve’s Empower Top 100 Executives list.
Yasmin commented: “I’m honoured to join the RFU Board not only as a passionate sports fan, but in my belief in rugby unions’ strong values and their drive to enrich lives, bring communities together and introduce more people to the sport. I look forward to working with fellow Board members to support the RFU and develop the sport for future generations.”
Paula Carter’s executive career covered private sector and public companies and large, complex and regulated organisations with multiple stakeholders, including roles in the Cabinet Office, Ofcom and the Royal Opera House. She was a rugby referee for 10 years, reaching level 7 and refereeing on the London Premier List. She then joined the Surrey Disciplinary Committee in 2013 and sat on panels for the RFU and European Premier Club Rugby. Paula was elected as a Council Member for Surrey in 2019 and sits on the RFU Board of Directors as a Council Elected Non-Executive Director. She has been a member of the Governance Committee since 2019 and led a review of regulation 5 which led to a major update of the RFU's Insolvency regulation. She currently chairs the Head Injury Prevention and Management Board Sub Committee.
Phil de Glanville works in executive head-hunting for Hanover Fox, based in Bath and London. He played rugby union for England 38 times, including captaining the team for a season in 1996, and was an ever present in the squad from 1992 to the 1999 World Cup. He played for 12 years at Bath rugby club (with over 200 appearances), including captaining the team for an unprecedented 5 years, winning 3 league and cup doubles and the European cup in 1998. He is a regular volunteer with Bath Youth and minis and occasionally coaches or referees, supporting his 3 sons, one of whom now plays professionally for Bath Rugby. He joined the Students RFU and the RFU Council in January 2017, and has been one of the 4 RFU representatives on the Professional Game Board (PGB) since October 2017. He joined the main RFU board as Senior PGB representative in July 2018.
Deborah Griffin OBE started playing rugby at University College London in 1978. She was a founding member of the WRFU in 1983 and chaired the organization of the first Women’s Rugby World Cup in Cardiff in 1991. Deborah captained the first English women’s club side at Finchley in its first year and went on to play for a further 7 years at Richmond. Returning as finance officer to the RFUW in 2002 and subsequently Chair of the Board, Deborah saw the RFUW to full integration in 2012. Deborah is Bursar at Homerton College, Cambridge University and has taken on duties of Secretary of the Cambridge University Rugby Football Union. Deborah has previously served for 6 years as a member of the RFU Board of Directors and 9 years on the Audit Committee and currently chairs the Women’s Performance Management Group.
Jonathan Webb represented the Students RFU for 6 years on Council before being elected as the World Rugby representative and RFU Board member in 2016. In 2021 he was voted onto the World Rugby Executive Committee and sits on the World Rugby Community Rugby Committee. He chairs the RFU Concussion Risk Management Group and is on the Governance and Laws sub committees. He played full back for University of Bristol, Bristol, Bath and England (1987-93, 33 caps, 298 points) winning 2 Grand Slams and reaching the 1991 RWC Final played at Twickenham. He was voted Rothmans rugby player of the year in 1992. He is President of United Bristol Hospitals RFC and Hon. VP of University of Bristol RFC.
Nigel Gillingham OBE first played rugby at the Royal Grammar School Guildford, was selected for England Schoolboys and went on to play for England U23s, Loughborough Colleges, Leicester Tigers, and the RAF. He also coached while serving in the RAF and is now a Life Vice President of the RAF Rugby Union.
Formerly the RFU Council member representing the RAF Rugby Union for nine years until 2008, during the last four years of that time Nigel was a member of the RFU Management Board, and the RFU’s representative on the Rugby Players’ Association.
He became a Gloucestershire RFU Council representative in 2012 and served the game and the Union in a variety of roles including: as chair of the Game Development Sub-Committee, as a member of the Community Game Board, the Governance Standing Committee, and the International Rugby Ticket Sub-Committee. He also chaired two of the Regional Player Pathway Groups in the south-west.
He was awarded an OBE for services to RAF charities and RAF rugby in 2001.
Said Nigel: “It is a huge honour and privilege to be elected as the RFU’s President. I am very grateful to all who have supported me throughout my involvement in this great game. Rugby has given me many things – our core values, tremendous friendships, and lots of enjoyment. Wherever you are, you always receive the warmest of welcomes in a rugby club from the countless numbers of rugby people who give so much for the good of our game and their communities.”
Rob Briers is the current Junior Vice-President and has served as a Council Representative for Lancashire and Chair of the Community Game Board. He has chaired the Competitions Subcommittee and County Championship Group and has served on the Governance Standing Committee, Player Development Subcommittee and Championship Committee. He is Past President of Lancashire County and played for West Park St Helens, Lancashire, North West Counties, the North of England and England U23s.
Rob Udwin played rugby at school, university, and various clubs before becoming a busy rugby administrator. He is an RFU representative to Rugby Europe, where he is a Vice President, a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Rugby Commission. He has previously held many positions with the RFU including Board Member and Chairman of the Community Game Board, and is a former Trustee of the RFU Injured Players Foundation. Rob lives near Banbury in Oxfordshire and is an Owner/Director of a computer software company.
