The meeting saw members voting on two resolutions.

Resolution 1, requested by the Rugby Football Referees Union on behalf of a number of members of the RFU, and Resolution 2, instigated by the RFU Board.

The results of both motions are below.

Resolution 1

It is resolved that the members have no confidence in the CEO (Mr Bill Sweeney) and call upon the RFU Board of Directors to terminate his employment at the RFU as soon as practicably possible.

The motion was rejected 466 to 206.

Resolution 2

Members believe the Governance and Representation Review should be expedited and this should include formal consultation with the wider game. Proposals (including to address feedback from the roadshows) should be shared before the RFU’s AGM and members are to be further consulted on actions later in the year.

The motion was passed 554 to 127.

At the end of the meeting Sir Bill Beaumont, the interim Chair of the RFU said: “Thank you all for your contributions this evening and for the thoughtful input we've received over the past few weeks. Your engagement and dedication to the future of English rugby are what make our Union so strong.

“On the first motion before us, the message from our members is clear.  They have voted emphatically to support our CEO, Bill Sweeney, and I am pleased to see such a decisive outcome. I would also like to acknowledge the members who voted for the motion — thank you for your voices and your perspectives. Every opinion matters and your concerns have been duly heard. 

“I ask that you now give the RFU the opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to progress. We are listening and taking action. These last few months have not been easy for English rugby where a lot has played out in the media.

“Now is the time to pull together and this shouldn’t happen again. But it’s important to remember, and we do understand this, that we are all united by a common passion for the game. It is absolutely right that members should always have the opportunity to hold the leadership of the RFU to account. That is part of our democratic process as a membership owned organisation.  

“But the way to achieve meaningful changes is through open discussion, cooperation, and shared goals and so now is the time for us to come together, to strengthen our unity, and to focus on the future. The time for division is past.  

“Now is the time to unite behind an opportunity to renew English rugby. I trust that those who supported this motion will honour and accept the result on this tonight and lets work forward to make changes. Let’s not anticipate a wave of SGMs and new motions designed to divide. I represent the whole game through my club Fylde, and I have spent all my life in the community game. And I go down there to watch our grandchildren play and I do understand what club rugby is all about.

“Now we need to let the leadership get back to leading.  We have, for example, had thousands of conversations in clubhouses up and down the country in recent weeks. Some feedback has been hard to hear but most of it has been constructive. We have listened. We have responded. And we will give local clubs a more direct voice and influence in a new devolved structure.  

“We will embark upon this process with renewed vigour in the months between now and the Annual General Meeting. Let us then put this period of infighting behind us, and instead, unite behind a common mission to modernise the Union and its structures including through our governance review which has also been emphatically supported this evening. 

“Members have now given us an overwhelming mandate to shake up the archaic structures of how the game is run here, which continue to hold us back. The RFU wants to modernise, and this is an unprecedented opportunity to do exactly that.  

“Let us also get back to focusing on the many brilliant and important things in our game. The passion and commitment of nearly 90,000 volunteers that provide the bedrock of our game. The great work that is already underway to get rugby back into schools and our vibrant age grade sections in clubs. 

“The improving form of the England senior men’s team and age grade teams. Every single player who pulls on a white shirt started at a community club. Every single one of them. The impending Women's Rugby World Cup and the ongoing Red Roses Six Nations campaign. The plans in place to make the professional club game more sustainable working together with the Second Tier.

“And the work we are doing to reform our structures and get more help to the community game, making it simpler and easier to both run, and play, the game.  We must do this with the understanding that we are all working together toward the betterment of the game we love, free from the influence of any one minority or group. 

“In conclusion, let’s stand together, and focus on what we can achieve together, and work to ensure that the Rugby Football Union continues to thrive, evolve, and lead the way in rugby. The time for division is behind us. The time for collaboration is now. Thank you.”