🏉 Welsh rugby's depressing decline is a warning for all membership associations - you're never too big to fail

I love Welsh rugby. I’ve grown up with it, lived it, and taken immense pride in everything our game represents, i.e., passion, resilience, identity, and community.

But as the senior men's squad slumps to its 18th successive defeat and tumbles further down the world rankings, it is so painful and disappointing to watch. Not just the results, but the chaos behind the scenes. Anyone paying attention can see that the problems in Welsh rugby aren’t just on the pitch, they’re baked into the very structure of the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU). And if you work in or with membership organisations like I do, you’ll recognise some deeply familiar warning signs.

The chaos that has engulfed Welsh rugby in recent years is not just a story about sport. It’s a story about a membership organisation that is failing because of systemic structural deficiencies that it has failed to tackle head on. 

From toxic culture to financial instability and underperformance on the pitch to internal civil war, the WRU has become a case study in how outdated governance and fragmented priorities can undermine success across an entire ecosystem; but this isn’t just an isolated story about rugby. The WRU's failings mirror challenges seen in many membership associations.

⚙️ What’s Wrong with the WRU Structure?

The WRU’s structure has long been a source of concern. Beneath the headlines lies a deeply embedded set of problems that go far beyond one scandal or one bad year.

1. Governance That’s No Longer Fit for Purpose

The WRU has long faced criticism for its governance model, where a large and often conservative General Council, made up mostly of representatives from amateur clubs, holds significant power over strategic decisions. This creates a conflict between the interests of the grassroots (community clubs) and the needs of the professional game (regional rugby and the national team). Efforts to modernise the governance structure have faced strong resistance, and only in recent years has limited progress been made toward reform. 

This legacy model concentrates decision-making power in the hands of volunteers with local loyalties, not strategic experience or experience of running a business that generates annual turnover of £102 million. This structure:

• Blocks reform;

• Prioritises self-preservation; and

• Undermines strategic planning and performance.

2. Clubs vs Professionals: An Unending Civil War

The voting structure of the WRU has meant that important business and performance decisions often rest in the hands of individuals with limited expertise in high-performance sport, finance, or commercial development. This leads to short-term thinking, reluctance to embrace reform, and decisions that prioritise local club interests over the sustainability of the elite game.

The WRU has repeatedly failed to reconcile the competing priorities of grassroots clubs and the professional game. Power struggles, unclear direction, and clashing values have created instability at every level.

3. Unstable Funding and Short-Termism

Funding to Wales' regional teams has been unpredictable, and the WRU has repeatedly been accused of failing to adequately support the professional game while also not providing a clear roadmap for future success. Regional teams have endured years of financial unpredictability, shifting strategies, and poor long-term investment. Commercial opportunities have been missed, and internal WRU spending priorities have not always reflected performance needs; and without clear plans or confidence in leadership, performance has suffered both on and off the field.

4. Neglected Pathways and Missed Potential

Development pathways are underfunded, disconnected, and undervalued. The entire system lacks coherence. Concerns about the development pathways from schools and clubs into the elite system have been persistent; talented players often leave Wales at a young age for opportunities in England or France, weakening the domestic game; and the alignment between grassroots, academy, and regional structures has been patchy and reactive rather than strategic.

5. Culture in Crisis

Recent scandals involving misogyny, bullying, and a toxic culture within the WRU have deeply damaged its credibility. This has further exposed the need for cultural reform and professionalised leadership, yet entrenched governance structures make change slow and difficult. These issues didn’t emerge overnight, they festered in a culture of complacency and denial.

📚 What Membership Organisations Must Learn

The WRU’s story may be rooted in sport, but the structural lessons apply across the board. Here are seven essential takeaways for all membership bodies:

1. Governance Reform Is Not Optional

Lesson: If your governance model is outdated, it becomes a liability.

In the WRU, a legacy structure that gives disproportionate power to grassroots club representatives has stifled reform, undermined professional decision-making, and allowed vested interests to trump strategic foresight. Membership organisations must regularly review their governance structures to ensure they’re fit for purpose, agile, and capable of supporting both the organisation’s mission and its future.

2. Expertise Matters at the Top Table

Lesson: Strategic decisions require strategic minds.

When strategic decisions are made by individuals who lack experience in high performance, business, or digital transformation, the results are predictably poor. Membership organisations must ensure their governing bodies have the right mix of skills, and that professional expertise is not overridden by sentiment, tradition, or internal politics.

3. Align Interests Across the Ecosystem

Lesson: Avoid a civil war between your grassroots and your professionals.

The WRU’s internal conflict between the community game and the elite/professional game has created mistrust and inefficiency. Membership organisations must work consistently to align the interests of their various membership segments (local chapters, national bodies, professionals, and volunteers) to build a unified vision, rather than allow one part of the ecosystem to dominate or derail progress.

4. Cultural Neglect Breeds Crisis

Lesson: Toxic cultures don’t appear overnight, they fester when ignored.

The WRU scandal involving allegations of sexism and bullying was not just a PR problem, it was a massive failure of governance. Culture is a board-level issue and membership organisations must lead by example, build inclusive cultures, and have clear mechanisms to surface concerns before they become scandals.

5. You Cannot Lead With Loyalty Alone

Lesson: Loyalty to tradition must never outweigh accountability and performance.

Membership organisations often reward long service and commitment over competence. While loyalty has its place, it cannot be a substitute for strategic insight, innovation, or leadership acumen. Reappointing the same voices simply because they’ve “always been there” or because they might walk away with their membership risks stagnation and groupthink.

6. Transparency and Communication Are Crucial

Lesson: Uncertainty kills trust, internally and externally.

The WRU’s opaque decision-making and erratic funding models left regions and stakeholders in the dark, fuelling mistrust. Membership organisations must be transparent about decisions, processes, and future direction. Clear communication fosters trust and engagement.

7. You Only Get So Many Chances

Lesson: Reputations take years to build and moments to lose.

The WRU brand has been damaged by years of mismanagement and high-profile failures. Membership organisations must recognise that members, staff, partners, and the public are watching, and will lose faith quickly if change is promised but not delivered.

🚨 Final Whistle

The WRU isn't fail because people stopped caring. It failed because the system stopped evolving.

Membership organisations, like sports unions, are built on tradition, but tradition cannot be allowed to choke transformation.

If your governance structure serves yesterday’s needs, if your decision-making excludes expertise, if your members are pulling in opposite directions, or if your culture is quietly rotting, you are heading for trouble.

Don’t wait for your WRU moment. Act now. Learn the lessons. Change before you're forced to.