The Fort Worth Press - Robinson edges Benazzi to succeed Beaumont as head of World Rugby

USD -
AED 3.672991
AFN 67.000252
ALL 92.450024
AMD 386.974854
ANG 1.802123
AOA 912.999737
ARS 1004.028701
AUD 1.550664
AWG 1.8025
AZN 1.691108
BAM 1.857325
BBD 2.01886
BDT 119.48491
BGN 1.852673
BHD 0.37685
BIF 2897.5
BMD 1
BND 1.345641
BOB 6.908832
BRL 5.7881
BSD 0.999886
BTN 84.392794
BWP 13.725155
BYN 3.272208
BYR 19600
BZD 2.01548
CAD 1.406181
CDF 2866.000223
CHF 0.891097
CLF 0.03535
CLP 975.409788
CNY 7.230298
CNH 7.255885
COP 4483
CRC 510.721544
CUC 1
CUP 26.5
CVE 104.898224
CZK 24.039499
DJF 177.720367
DKK 7.089925
DOP 60.450038
DZD 133.619438
EGP 49.651402
ERN 15
ETB 121.924977
EUR 0.950575
FJD 2.274992
FKP 0.789317
GBP 0.79008
GEL 2.724985
GGP 0.789317
GHS 16.050165
GIP 0.789317
GMD 71.000134
GNF 8630.999733
GTQ 7.721894
GYD 209.184836
HKD 7.781525
HNL 25.079657
HRK 7.133259
HTG 131.382772
HUF 386.447959
IDR 15958.35
ILS 3.742715
IMP 0.789317
INR 84.479796
IQD 1310.5
IRR 42104.999699
ISK 138.4698
JEP 0.789317
JMD 158.287592
JOD 0.709098
JPY 156.361045
KES 129.502089
KGS 86.3765
KHR 4051.000028
KMF 466.50319
KPW 899.999621
KRW 1407.51502
KWD 0.30742
KYD 0.833207
KZT 495.71708
LAK 21944.999736
LBP 89599.999991
LKR 292.121707
LRD 184.10406
LSL 18.19889
LTL 2.95274
LVL 0.60489
LYD 4.879731
MAD 9.972503
MDL 18.112322
MGA 4659.999992
MKD 58.237769
MMK 3247.960992
MNT 3397.999946
MOP 8.01546
MRU 39.965002
MUR 47.189959
MVR 15.460093
MWK 1735.000056
MXN 20.44638
MYR 4.481991
MZN 63.849926
NAD 18.19805
NGN 1679.960183
NIO 36.760158
NOK 11.163435
NPR 135.033904
NZD 1.710952
OMR 0.385021
PAB 0.999905
PEN 3.804499
PGK 3.94225
PHP 58.903501
PKR 278.101709
PLN 4.106796
PYG 7808.968491
QAR 3.64075
RON 4.728699
RSD 110.633973
RUB 99.63521
RWF 1368
SAR 3.756031
SBD 8.383384
SCR 14.744996
SDG 601.501853
SEK 11.00999
SGD 1.34649
SHP 0.789317
SLE 22.704736
SLL 20969.504736
SOS 571.497762
SRD 35.356496
STD 20697.981008
SVC 8.749122
SYP 2512.529858
SZL 18.2053
THB 35.012982
TJS 10.658475
TMT 3.5
TND 3.151972
TOP 2.342103
TRY 34.33943
TTD 6.789045
TWD 32.619503
TZS 2660.000286
UAH 41.219825
UGX 3669.445974
UYU 42.477826
UZS 12799.999732
VES 45.453079
VND 25400
VUV 118.722009
WST 2.791591
XAF 622.917458
XAG 0.032786
XAU 0.000389
XCD 2.70255
XDR 0.753255
XOF 620.493331
XPF 113.383085
YER 249.849892
ZAR 18.284165
ZMK 9001.203741
ZMW 27.421652
ZWL 321.999592
  • RBGPF

    -0.9400

    59.25

    -1.59%

  • CMSC

    -0.0600

    24.55

    -0.24%

  • BCC

    -2.2000

    140.35

    -1.57%

  • SCS

    -0.1000

    13.27

    -0.75%

  • GSK

    -0.7200

    34.39

    -2.09%

  • RELX

    -0.1700

    45.95

    -0.37%

  • NGG

    0.2500

    62.37

    +0.4%

  • RYCEF

    -0.3200

    6.79

    -4.71%

  • CMSD

    -0.0050

    24.725

    -0.02%

  • BTI

    0.0700

    35.49

    +0.2%

  • RIO

    -0.1900

    60.43

    -0.31%

  • JRI

    -0.0300

    13.21

    -0.23%

  • VOD

    -0.0700

    8.68

    -0.81%

  • BCE

    -0.3700

    26.84

    -1.38%

  • BP

    0.4800

    29.05

    +1.65%

  • AZN

    -0.2500

    65.04

    -0.38%

Robinson edges Benazzi to succeed Beaumont as head of World Rugby
Robinson edges Benazzi to succeed Beaumont as head of World Rugby / Photo: © AFP

Robinson edges Benazzi to succeed Beaumont as head of World Rugby

Australia's Brett Robinson became the first chairman of World Rugby from the southern hemisphere after edging French rival Abdelatif Benazzi in a vote on Thursday.

Text size:

The 54-year-old former Wallabies flanker succeeds England's Bill Beaumont who steps down after eight years.

Robinson obtained 27 votes with former French international Benazzi receiving 25 in the second round of World Rugby Council voting. Italy's Andrea Rinaldo bowed out in the first round with nine votes.

"It is an immense privilege and honour to have been elected World Rugby Chair by my Council colleagues today," said Robinson, who has a four-year term with the option to run for a second.

"During the course of the process, I have had many conversations with my colleagues around the world and am heartened by our shared ambition to continue to build on the strength of our game."

The next men's Rugby World Cup takes place in Australia in 2027 and will be the first to have 24 teams.

Robinson, a doctor specialising in orthopaedics, said he had five main themes which he wanted to deliver on.

These include financial sustainability "across all member unions amid a rising cost base and wage inflation" and "fan and player growth through investment in player safety, law reform and innovation".

"Today, I reiterate my commitment as Chair to do so, to harness the abundant passion in our game and to lead for all," he said.

Robinson has since retiring as a player also enjoyed a spell in business and has said the finances of World Rugby, with so much to be invested in various programmes over the next few years, were "creaking".

With this in mind he has made the biennial Nations Championship a priority to enhance rugby income.

He was bitterly disappointed when the idea was rejected in 2019 but it is slated to have its inaugural outing in 2026.

There will be a northern pool (made up of the Six Nations) and a southern pool, with Japan and Fiji expected to join the four existing Rugby Championship nations -- South Africa, New Zealand, Australia and Argentina.

There is a second Division of a dozen countries with promotion and relegation as of 2030.

- 'Existential threat' -

Qatar had been keen to host it but they will have to wait, although Robinson is keen to bring them in at some stage.

Twickenham, according to Robinson, will host the first Nations Championship final.

"It was one of the most disappointing moments for me that we missed that opportunity (with the Nations Championship)," he told The Times in August.

"There were forces at play that meant at the time it wasn't meant to be.

"The great thing is it has come around again. I don't want to see us miss it again -- because we can't afford to."

Robinson has also been a proponent of speeding up the game, from time limits on setting scrums and line-outs to the controversial 20 minute red card to make it more spectator friendly.

"Contest for possession is still primary to our thinking," he told The Times.

"But we have to be mindful of the existential threat. That means we have to listen and adapt and change.

"That is something we shouldn't be frightened of and something we should embrace."

Player welfare is perhaps to many -- not least to parents debating whether to allow their children to play rugby -- the greatest priority.

The legal case brought by former players against World Rugby, England's Rugby Football Union and the Welsh Rugby Union is pending.

However, Robinson, who has been a research investigator in a concussion study involving the Queensland Brain Institute, told New Zealand newspaper The Post that World Rugby will invest £40 million ($51 million) in player welfare in the next few years.

That will include paying for instrumented mouthguards in every competition in the world.

Rugby Australia rejoiced in his victory.

"Brett is the perfect candidate to lead the game into a confident and prosperous new era," said Rugby Australia CEO Phil Waugh.

"Rugby Australia shares Brett's vision for the future of rugby and endorses his proposed reforms that will evolve and grow the game worldwide."

A.Maldonado--TFWP