Rugby row

The letter, calling for WRU president Sir Tasker Watkins not to preside over the Extraordinary General Meeting of the Union on Sunday week and for someone else to take the chair, has caused outrage in certain quarters of the game in Wales.

District A chairman Owen Parfitt, who was not at last week's meeting where the drafting, signing and sending of the letter was approved, has distanced himself from it, admitting it had caused him 'grave concern'.

Those voicing their disgust say the letter questions the integrity and impartiality of Sir Tasker and Newport backer Tony Brown lashed out, saying: "If this is where our rugby has been brought to, I find it absolutely appalling.

"It is one of the most disgraceful things I've known and we separate ourselves totally from it."

Other people have also hit out at question marks being put against a man who is not only a High Court judge but has also won the military's ultimate honour for bravery, the Victoria Cross.

Proposals from Sir Tasker's working party into the reform of the game in Wales plus some from the WRU General Committee and First Division teams have been sent out to all member club secretaries in the Principality.

Now an Argus investigation can reveal the events that led to the letter being sent. The District's AGM was held at Crumlin RFC and, during the meeting, arguments were put forward from the floor about sending the letter to the Union about Sir Tasker being in the chair.

The District's WRU representative, Terry Vaux, was chairman of that meeting in Parfitt's absence, with Crumlin RFC's representative Tony Richards officiating as his final meeting before stepping down as secretary to the District.

Three different sources have claimed that Usk representative John Jones proposed that the letter be sent.

Jones, though, was not the person who initially brought the matter up on the floor. The resolution was passed unanimously with hardly a second glance. Nobody, though, could have imagined the sort of rumpus they would cause.

The letter, signed by Richards as Distrct secretary, said: "The clubs in our district feel Sir Tasker should be replaced as chairman (of the EGM).

"The clubs feel he should declare his interest and step down. We suggest a past president should chair the meeting."

Jones, when confronted with the information that he proposed that the letter be written and sent, told the Argus: "I can't recall that. I know I voted for it."

Richards stressed he was no longer secretary of the District and refused to comment on the matter.

A new secretary will be chosen at next week's meeting of the Gwent organisation. Vaux, who sits on the Union's 29-man General Committee, said the matter did not cause a compromise with his own WRU position.

He said: "It does not put me or my colleagues in a difficult position because we don't vote at District meetings. Our sole purpose at District meetings is to keep the District informed about what happens at the (WRU) committees."

Parfitt, though, is upset about the letter and the apparent slur on Sir Tasker's integrity. He said: "I have found it very difficult to sleep because of the implications of it all. "It has caused me grave concern and I will have to think what course of action to take personally. I am chairman of District A and the decision was made by District A."