SA Rugby magazine

South African rugby news, interviews, videos and more. Covering the Springboks, Bulls, Stormers, Sharks, Cheetahs and Lions, as well as schools and club rugby.

Primary Menu Search
  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER
You are here: Home ∼ Pichot bids for World Rugby top job

Pichot bids for World Rugby top job

Bill Beaumont and Agustin Pichot Bill Beaumont and Agustin Pichot
Published on April 12, 2020

Agustin Pichot has announced on Sunday that he will run against incumbent Bill Beaumont to become the new chairman of World Rugby.

Pichot – who won 71 caps for the Pumas and has served as a World Rugby vice-chairman for the last four years – promised radical change in rugby if he was to be elected.

‘It is a critical time and a critical election,’ he said in a statement. ‘The current crisis is an opportunity for the global realignment of our game. We cannot miss it.

‘It is time to align our global calendar and our strategic intent to attract the sustainable investment we need, or risk falling back to individual handouts or grants in the absence of a long-term vision for a global game.’

In an exclusive interview with The Daily Mail, Pichot said he wanted to shake up the ‘old boys club’ that runs World Rugby, promising a more modernised governance.

If he is elected, Pichot would be the first chairman outside of Europe’s Six Nations and his candidature is therefore likely to appeal to unions in the Southern Hemisphere and outside of rugby’s traditional heartlands.

ALSO READ: SA players facing salary cut

The 45-year-old was also the driving force behind the concept of a Nations Championship – which would have allowed other countries to gain their share of rugby’s riches. He has been a stern critic of ‘project players’ – the idea of players from the Pacific Nations in particular playing Test rugby for other countries.

‘This is a time to re-set the structure of our sport and build a game with a global appeal, because the shortfall of Covid-19 will be big,’ he told Daily Mail. ‘We don’t want nations going bankrupt. It’s about protection for everyone, not just for a few.

‘The stakeholders need to come together to form the best model. Everyone needs an equal voice so what is the best way forward,’ he added on the concept of a global calendar.

‘Soccer has done it very well. By preserving the club and international game. Although Lionel Messi earns 20 times the money for Barcelona, he still plays for Argentina in every single championship because it is meaningful.’

ALSO READ: SA Rugby banking on June return

Beaumont had already announced his intention to seek another four-year term and his re-election was expected to be a mere formality, with France Rugby president Bernard Laporte likely to serve as his deputy.

Photo: Andrew Redington/Getty Images

Posted in Test Rugby, Top headlines Tagged Agustin Pichot, Bill Beaumont, World Rugby

Post by SA Rugby magazine

SA Rugby magazine

Check out Blackout Rugby Manager HERE!

← Previous Next →

Sevens’ party falls flat

World Rugby shouldn’t have messed with a winning sevens formula, writes SIMON...

Draining format clogs Blitzboks’ blockage

A protracted schedule took the wind out of South Africa's sails at...

England cut Eddie, Razor to stop the bleeding

England have made the rash decision to part ways with coach Eddie...

Rassie ref hom in die rooi

Rassie Erasmus is hardly the embarrassment that some are making him out...

Cut and paste Kurt-Lee for Kolbe

Kurt-Lee Arendse ticks all the right boxes to replace the injured Cheslin...

Rassie auditions for England job

Rassie Erasmus has made the most calculated of public job applications to...

Boks need to make mentality adjustment

The Springboks need to lose their underdog mentality, writes SIMNIKIWE XABANISA in...

Kolbe’s worth every penny

Cheslin Kolbe’s big-money move to Toulon should be welcomed as a massive...

‘Bok gameplan, when executed correctly, is hard to match’

The opportunity to play against the All Blacks is a career highlight...

Five key areas the Boks need to dominate for first victory

SA Rugby magazine highlights five crucial areas the Boks will need to...

Top six: Best and worst foreign imports

SARugbymag.co.za identifies six of the best and worst foreign players to play...

Column: When context is needed

As highlighted by the Argentina controversy, ‘cancel culture’ needs a spoonful of...

Dark cloud hangs over WP Rugby

The problems at Western Province Rugby are layered, and everyone involved needs...

From the mag: Foreign Favourites

As Vodacom Super Rugby turned 25 this year, JON CARDINELLI picks an...

Bulls rookies to watch

After a massive exodus of players the Vodacom Bulls will be eager...

Analysis: The new suffocate-and-strangle game

For the Boks to emerge as World Cup winners, they need to...

VIEW MORE
  • Bonus-point Bulls douse Dragons
  • Munster maul luckless Lions
  • Stormers sign off 2022 in style
  • Sharks carve Bulls on New Year’s Eve

Jacques Burger’s Perfect XV

    BKT United Rugby Championship, Scotstoun, Glasgow, Scotland 8/1/2023 Glasgow Warriors vs DHL Stormers Stormers' Damian Willemse Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Craig Watson
  • Highlights: Heartbreak for Stormers in Glasgow thriller

###


COVID-19 Corona Virus
South African Resource Portal

African Insider
African Insider News

ABOUT

  • Contact us
  • Competitions
  • Videos
  • Player Features
  • Subscribe
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy Policy

TOURNAMENTS

    • Rugby Championship
    • Super Rugby
    • Currie Cup
    • Varsity Cup
    • Gold Cup
    • Schools
    • Six Nations
    • Champions Cup
    • World Cup
    • Challenge Cup

OPINION

  • Mallett on SuperSport
  • Cardinelli column
  • Lewis column
  • Xabanisa column
  • Borchardt column
  • Superbru

Primary Menu

  • Home
  • Match Centre
  • Vodacom URC
  • Videos
  • Cars
    • Cheap cars for sale
    • Used Cars For Sale
    • New Cars For Sale
    • Demo Cars For Sale
  • Deals
    • One Day Deals
    • Nationwide Deals
      • Deals in Cape Town
      • Deals in Johannesburg
      • Deals in Durban
      • Deals in Pretoria
      • Deals in Port Elizabeth
    • Accommodation Deals
    • Romantic Getaways
    • Food and Drink Deals
    • Experiences
    • Health and Wellness Deals
    • Beauty and Spa Deals
  • BLACKOUT RUGBY MANAGER