Who will decide the fate of Welsh rugby?

The destiny of Welsh rugby will yet beryllium decided by 12 group this month.

While Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) head of rugby and elite capacity Dave Reddin has been starring nan process of alteration during nan past fewer months, it will beryllium nan governing body's committee that will punishment immoderate melodramatic alterations to nan crippled successful Wales.

Reddin is portion of a five-strong WRU executive squad alongside main executive Abi Tierney, organization head Geraint John, main group serviceman Lydia Stirling, main commercialized serviceman Leighton Davies and main operating serviceman Gavin Marshall, who officially starts his domiciled adjacent month.

Only Tierney besides sits connected nan 12-strong committee and she is presently disconnected activity undergoing crab treatment, truthful what portion she will play successful nan process during nan adjacent fewer weeks remains to beryllium seen.

The WRU committee will beryllium presented pinch a scope of accusation by Reddin and his squad astatine a gathering connected Wednesday, 8 October.

A arguable connection to trim nan number of master men's sides successful Wales from 4 to 2 was nan WRU's preferred action of nan 4 models presented successful August.

There was guidance from players, supporters and clubs to this connection during a consultation which has now finished.

No last determination connected nan measurement up is expected yet, pinch further meetings planned. A definitive result pinch committee support has been promised by nan extremity of October.

The new-look committee was established successful 2023 aft a damning study recovered aspects of nan WRU's civilization were sexist, racist, misogynistic aliases homophobic.

Two-thirds of nan committee changed, pinch nan caller set-up featuring doubly nan number of independent board arsenic good arsenic 3 erstwhile players, while nan number of elected members was reduced from 8 to four.

The WRU believes nan move has brought successful much master expertise, while besides realising gender diverseness ambitions pinch 5 women joining nan board.

Reddin says nan committee will person nan condemnation to make bold alteration if required.

"The work of a committee successful an organisation for illustration this to return nan brave decisions erstwhile they request to," said Reddin.

"Led by Richard [Collier-Keywood], our committee are committed to nan request to alteration Welsh rugby for nan amended and, if required, making reliable decisions which our committee are not acrophobic to do.

"I would not opportunity they are nether pressure, they recognise nan value of it. They asked america to spell into a consultation process truthful they could beryllium arsenic good informed arsenic possible."

The board's determination could lead to nan threat of occupation losses, ineligible action and a subordinate strike.

So who are nan twelve figures that clasp nan early of Welsh rugby successful their hands and could spell down successful history arsenic nan group who oversaw revolutionary change, for amended aliases worse?

Collier-Keywood is nan board's leader aft being named nan first WRU independent chair successful July 2023, erstwhile he replaced erstwhile Wales skipper Ieuan Evans.

Collier-Keywood, whose mother hails from Maesteg, is simply a erstwhile UK managing partner and world vice-chair of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PWC), and has been a elder advisor to nan section for digital, culture, media and sport.

He has besides been connected nan committee of nan National Community Lottery Fund and Women of nan World, which promotes gender equality internationally.

Tierney became nan first female WRU main executive erstwhile she officially joined nan organisation successful January 2024.

She has Welsh connections, arsenic her begetter hails from Barry, and says she is simply a lifelong protagonist of Welsh rugby.

Tierney was antecedently nan head wide for customer services astatine nan Home Office.

Before joining nan civilian service, Tierney was a business improvement head astatine Serco, wherever she besides held a number of operational roles, including location head and main executive of Suffolk Community Services.

She had antecedently been a head astatine University Hospitals of Leicester and Aberdeen City Council and trading leader for IBM's world services business.

The erstwhile Harlequins president replaced Amanda Blanc arsenic chair of nan Professional Rugby Board (PRB) successful 2022, granting him a spot connected nan board.

Wall began his media profession astatine Southern, Anglia and past Granada Television earlier becoming lawman main executive of Meridian Broadcasting successful nan early 1990s.

He went connected to lead nan multinational media institution United Business Media complete a four-year play earlier moving Virgin Media's contented business for 3 years arsenic good arsenic serving arsenic president of UKTV.

Mathias joined nan WRU committee arsenic an independent non-executive head successful October 2023.

She was calved and brought up successful Pembrokeshire connected a family workplace and is simply a qualified accountant pinch astir 30 years of banking, in installments and consequence guidance experience.

Mathias joined financial institution The Openwork Partnership successful December 2024 arsenic main financial serviceman (CFO) and committee director.

Prior to this, she was group CFO astatine Rathbones Group, nan £1.75bn UK wealthiness guidance patient listed connected nan London Stock Exchange.

Mathias started her profession astatine Lloyds TSB and joined Coutts backstage slope successful 2012.

Williams became an independent non-executive head successful January 2024, having antecedently been a Cardiff committee member.

Originally from Heath successful Cardiff, he attended Llanishen High School earlier qualifying arsenic a chartered engineer.

He has besides studied successful nan Advanced Management Programme astatine The Wharton Business School, University of Pennsylvania.

He was main executive of Halma plc, nan world safety, wellness and biology exertion group, for 18 years until 2023.

Under his leadership, Halma accrued its marketplace capitalisation from £600m to much than £8.5bn.

Since December 2024, he has been an executive advisor for KKR Private Equity.

Thorne was nan first assignment of nan new-look committee arsenic an independent non-executive personnel successful June 2023 and is now nan WRU elder independent director.

Thorne's begetter Tony was a groundsman astatine nan erstwhile National Stadium successful Cardiff during nan 1970s and 1980s.

Thorne. who was calved successful Penarth, has had a firm world profession successful retail, starting arsenic a trainee successful David Morgans successful Cardiff earlier starring executive committee commercialized roles astatine Mothercare, George astatine Asda and B&Q.

She is chair of nan National Dance Company Wales and Barcud Housing Association.

She is besides arsenic an independent sheet personnel for nationalist appointments for nan Welsh government, having antecedently served arsenic a Sport Wales committee personnel and a politician for Cardiff Metropolitan University.

The erstwhile subordinate turned pundit is nan astir recognisable fig connected nan committee having played 94 times for Wales. He won 3 Six Nations titles and reaching a World Cup semi-final during his world career.

Twice a British and Irish Lions tourist, he was named subordinate of nan bid against South Africa successful 2009 and was a bid victor 4 years later successful Australia.

Roberts' nine profession has taken him astir nan world, from Cardiff to Paris pinch Racing 92, England pinch Bath and Harlequins, South Africa pinch Stormers and Australia pinch nan Waratahs, arsenic good arsenic Cambridge University and Dragons.

He has held a domiciled arsenic a subordinate typical connected nan World Rugby high-performance committee and sits connected nan Lions Trust.

A rugby pioneer, Bennett was nan first female to propulsion connected nan reddish number 10 jersey successful Wales' first women's Test match, against England, successful 1987.

She went connected to triumph 26 caps, including playing successful nan first Women's World Cup successful 1991 and featuring astatine nan tourney again 4 years later.

Bennett was Wales coach betwixt 1998 and 2000 earlier starring Saracens for a decade. She was besides portion of England's coaching squad for nan 2006 World Cup.

She led nan improvement of UK Sport's equality modular successful 2004, which has been implemented by much than 400 organisations crossed nan UK.

In 2013, nan erstwhile coach launched her ain governance and activity institution FairPlay Ltd, advising connected governance and activity for nan likes of nan Premier League and each 4 location rugby unions.

A erstwhile Wales world second-row who won 75 caps, Donovan began her profession pinch Cardiff Quins earlier spending nan mostly of her profession astatine Saracens and appearing astatine 2 World Cups.

Donovan served connected nan WRU's nationalist assembly earlier being elected by clubs to nan committee successful December 2023.

Whilst successful position astatine nan WRU, she has engaged pinch outer stakeholders astir galore areas, including entree to rugby for women and girls, governance and betterment of facilities.

An knowledgeable head successful nan nutrient manufacture - including 1 of nan largest crockery producers successful Europe - Donovan has worked arsenic a lobbyist for nan horticultural industry.

She has helped construe nan needs of nan manufacture into authorities argumentation and acted arsenic a authorities advisor.

Manders was elected arsenic a nationalist assembly personnel successful July 2020 and was re-elected successful September 2021.

A erstwhile sergeant pinch South Wales Police, he was capped by Wales astatine younker level and toured South Africa successful 1980.

He played for Cardiff, Newport and Pontypridd but is simply a stalwart of Old Illtydians.

After retiring, Manders continued to activity arsenic an assessor, lectured successful rule astatine nan University of South Wales and was an creator head astatine Tickledom Theatrical Productions and a head of learning astatine Credwch Ltd.

He was elected to nan Community Game Board (CGB) chair position successful November 2022, which saw him besides subordinate nan WRU committee successful spot of outgoing chair Rob Butcher.

Chris Jones is nan longest-serving personnel of nan board, having been primitively appointed successful 2018 arsenic a territory assembly member.

Jones has served arsenic caput of Newcastle Emlyn RFC since nan club's statement successful 1977, arsenic good arsenic being a past player, skipper and coach.

He besides coached nan Welsh Schools intermediate world broadside and chaired nan intermediate group and schools council.

Jones taught PE for 35 years earlier his status successful 2010.

Wilks has spent 50 years successful rugby, arsenic a player, referee, coach and administrator pinch Risca.

Wilks served arsenic a Dragons head betwixt 2021 and 2023 erstwhile nan Gwent broadside were nether WRU power and is besides nan existent chair of nan competitions guidance committee.

Now retired, his business inheritance was arsenic a head successful some nan mining and alloy industries, spanning some manufacturing and commercialized sectors.

A erstwhile schoolhouse governor, he is simply a University of Glamorgan engineering postgraduate and holds a postgraduate grade successful business management from nan University of Wales.