On another remarkable day at the RFU, a group of 141 members from across the country called for a special general meeting and a vote of no confidence in Sweeney, only for the union to declare the motion invalid on bureaucratic grounds. The rebels - who later said their support had grown to 152 members - demanded an SGM no later than 28 February and said they were calling on the board of directors to "terminate [Sweeney's] employment as soon as practicably possible".
The threshold to call for an SGM is 100 clubs, so the rebels were confident they would succeed in forcing a vote but the coup has failed, at least temporarily, on the grounds that "it does not comply with the relevant requirements".
The rebels consider the setback a minor obstacle but the procedure to call for an SGM is notoriously bureaucratic and a similar putsch failed during the tackle-height debacle in January 2023.
This story is from the January 10, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the January 10, 2025 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
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