Several women denounced the sexist culture that reigned at the National Federation. Steve Phillips was not personally referred to by any accusation, but he explained that he had “arrived at the conclusion that someone else shows the way”.
MO12345LEMONDE with AFP
Six days after several women in the organization denounced the sexist culture that reigned there, the director general of the Welsh Rugby Federation (WRU), Steve Phillips, has left his duties, announced the WRU on Sunday January 29 .
“Phillips attended Reunion on the establishment of a working group” announced on Friday to investigate sexist, racist or homophobic behaviors within the federation, “but he has since been concluded that ‘He can no longer be the person at the head of Welsh rugby, “said the press release.
Phillips was personally referred to by any accusation, but he explained, in the press release, “arrived at the conclusion that it is now time that someone else shows the path”.
“I am completely in line with the commitment of Ieuan [Evans, the chairman of the board of directors of the WRU] in favor of a re-examination and an improvement of our culture and our behaviors to the federation and I provide my total support for the new independent working group. I am happy to have been able to launch this process at the WRU, “he added.
Nigel Walker, who was previously director of performance at the Federation, was appointed interim managing director.
“Did I really hear that?”
Last Monday, several women, including Charlotte Wathan, then director of women’s rugby at WRU, had shown sexist words or behaviors s of which they had been victims for years, in a program of the BBC.
A man, at the Gallergan Welsh training center in 2019, “said he wanted to rape me. Bring back to the hotel, attach me to the bed and rape me,” said Wathan, adding : “I remember having been sick, as after a punch in the stomach. I remember having been in shock and having said to myself” did I really hear that? “.” “Everyone laughed,” she had continued. I left the room and broke in sobs “.
A former WRU employee, interviewed under the cover of anonymity by the BBC, had even claimed to have written in 2018, a memo for her husband in case she committed suicide, following sexist harassment.