Dr Charles Godden
Charles joined the RFU Disciplinary and Safeguarding Panel in 2016. He was a Consultant Paediatrician in Guildford for 21 years and prior to this had experience working in Australia and Papua New Guinea.
David Lidbury
David is a barrister and Deputy District Judge sitting in family and civil cases. He has been an RFU Panel Chair since 2017. He played amateur rugby for 20 years and is now a club youth coach.
Debbie Nicholson
Debbie was appointed to the RFU Safeguarding Panel in 2016. She is a practising lawyer in the field of regulation and professional discipline with a professional interest in safeguarding.
HHJ Sean Enright
Sean has been a Circuit Judge for the last nine years. Prior to that appointment he was in practice at the criminal bar for 25 years. He has been actively involved in playing, coaching or administration in the game for 40 years and joined the RFU discipline panel as chair in 2008.
Jane Bickerstaff KC
Jane is a Chairperson on the RFU Safeguarding Panel and a member of the RFU Discipline Panel. She is a member of the criminal bar and has been practising for 27 years. She both prosecutes and defends and has particular experience in matters involving sexual offences and young or vulnerable witnesses.
John Loughton
Player, referee, coach and administrator at schools, club and county level. John is a past member of the RFU Council (1995 to 2001), former Secondary Head and current Justice of the Peace.
Laura Wakefield
Laura is a Student Union Adviser and Advocate at and deals with all aspects of student life including disciplinary and fitness to practice issues, academic appeals and welfare support. She has been actively involved with the organisation of rugby at club level for over 30 years, is a member of the Essex CB Disciplinary Panel, the RFU Judiciary, and the RFU Safeguarding Panel. Her main club is Runwell Wyverns, and she is also a member of Rochford Hundred.
Leon Pickering
Leon is a barrister and played school and club rugby as a junior in Norfolk before playing several other contact sports at university. He sits on the RFU London and Safeguarding panels as well as in Surrey.
Les Vernon
In 1991 Les joined the Leicestershire Rugby Union. He holds a number of positions in the Community Game including club panel member, CB Youth Discipline Secretary , CB and RFU panel member.
Liz Redfern CBE
Liz Redfern CBE had a long career in the NHS, retiring as Deputy Chief Nurse for England in 2014. She regularly held leadership roles for Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults and led enquiries into allegations of abuse. She lives in Devon and holds Safeguarding roles for two local charities.
Rebecca Harris
Rebecca is an independent barrister specialising in regulatory law and professional discipline. She has been a member of the RFU’s disciplinary panel since 2014 and a member of the RFU’s specialist safeguarding panel since its inception in 2016. Rebecca’s brother played the game professionally for over 10 years her three children are fanatical rugby-players.
Richard Mann
Richard Mann joined the RFU Safeguarding Appeals Panel in 2016. Throughout his working career he has been involved with criminal intelligence, investigations, public protection and safeguarding
Richard Whittam KC
Richard Whittam KC is the independent Head of Judiciary at the RFU. He is an experienced RFU Judicial Chair and a Judicial Officer for World Rugby and EPCR. He chairs hearings at first instance and on appeal. He also chairs Safeguarding Panels at first instance and on appeal. Richard is a specialist regulatory and criminal barrister. He sat as a Deputy High Court judge for six years and is a Recorder of the Crown Court. He is a Justice of Appeal of the Falkland Islands and South Georgia and the Sandwich Islands and a legal member of the Proscribed Organisations Appeal Commission.
Sam Hillas KC
Sam Hillas is a barrister on the Northern Circuit, specialising in matrimonial finance and practising from St Johns Buildings. She has played and been involved with rugby for the last 25 years and still has the occasional run out as tighthead prop for Birkenhead Park Panthers. Prior to her appointment to the RFU’s disciplinary panel, Sam represented a number of players at constituent body/RFU disciplinary hearings. She began to sit as a panel member for the RFU during the 2012-2013 season. She sits mainly in the North of England and has chaired numerous panels since her appointment as a panel chairman during the 2014-2015 season. Sam is also on the judicial panel for Six Nations, EPCR and World Rugby.
