Sir James Wates, previous chairman of Wates Crew, replaces Sir Invoice Beaumont as chair of the RFU board.
Wates has an extended involvement in group rugby at Dorking RFC, the place he performed age grade and grownup rugby, and the place he’s as of late an honorary vice chairman. He’s a lifelong England rugby fan and has been a debenture holder at Twickenham for years.
He’s lately a board director of the Wates Crew, having up to now been chairman from 2013 to 2023, and could also be chairman of Vestey Holdings and at the board for The King’s Agree with fiftieth Anniversary Marketing campaign.
He has served previously as chairman of Circle of relatives Trade UK, the Construction Analysis Established order Agree with, the CBI Building Council, the Building Trade Coaching Board and Construct UK.
In 2018, he was once appointed by way of the federal government to chair the crowd growing company governance rules for massive personal corporations (the so-called Wates Ideas). In 2012 he was once awarded the CBE and in 2019 was once knighted for products and services to industry and to charity.
Polly Williams, senior unbiased director at the RFU Board, mentioned: “We’re overjoyed to announce that Sir James Wates will likely be becoming a member of the RFU Board as the brand new chair. It was once a diligent procedure that took time to make sure that the suitable appointment was once made.

“He was once an excellent candidate, unanimously selected, and he’ll carry superb management revel in, a dedication to reinforce and develop the game he loves and wide-ranging perception and data in vital spaces together with innovation, sustainability and generation.
“His business revel in can also be an important asset as we search to modernise and redevelop Allianz Stadium [Twickenham] within the coming years.”
Sir James Wates mentioned: “This can be a true honour to be named chair of the board of the RFU, and I will be able to’t wait to get began. English Rugby is steeped in legacy and historical past, and this is a historical past that the rustic will have to be happy with, whilst additionally being serious about what’s to come back.
“Later this 12 months, we now have the Ladies’s Rugby International Cup hosted throughout England and I’m taking a look ahead to this going down so quickly into my tenure.
“I will be able to do my utmost to maximize the expansion of the sport, with the fortify of the RFU Board and wider staff within the years forward and attractive up to imaginable within the rugby group in any respect ranges throughout England.”
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