IRFU aim to reach 40% gender balance target on union’s committee by the end of 2023

The IRFU has endorsed a proposal to achieve a 40 per cent gender representation on the union’s committee by the end of this calendar year. An EGM considered and then agreed to the necessary amendments to the laws of the IRFU for the new gender balance to be achieved, and these were then endorsed at the union’s ensuing AGM on Friday.

There had been a 13 per cent female representation on the IRFU’s committee prior to the union making a commitment for this to reach 20 per cent by July, with this figure now to be doubled by the end of 2023.

Speaking about the law changes IRFU chief executive Kevin Potts said: “The IRFU is committed to meeting the 40 per cent gender balance target by the end of this year and today’s decision by council will allow us achieve this.

“Over the past few months we have engaged and consulted with our stakeholders on the changes required to achieve 40 per cent gender representation on the IRFU committee, and I welcome council’s unanimous support today. This is an important milestone in our history and one which will pave the way for greater diversity and inclusion in Irish rugby.”

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Greg Barrett was elected the 134th president of the union. Born and raised in Cork, Barrett is a member of Cork Constitution and was a member of the historic Munster team who beat the All Blacks in Thomond Park in 1978.

Barrett has served as captain, president and chair of management of Cork Con, and has been a Munster delegate on the IRFU committee since 2013. Since his appointment to the IRFU committee he has acted as chair of various IRFU subcommittees and in 2017 was appointed chairman of the IRFU rugby committee. He has also been a member of the Munster and Ireland professional game boards.

In July 2020, Barrett was elected to the position of Junior vice-president of the IRFU and is also a member of the IRFU management committee.

“I have been involved in rugby for my entire life from my early days in CBC Cork and have had the honour of playing for my club, my province, and my country. To now be the president of the union is an absolute privilege,” said Barrett.

“I look forward to visiting many clubs over the course of the year to see the fantastic work going on at grassroots level and discuss the future of Irish rugby with them. I am pleased to have been centrally involved in the sale of our lands at Newlands and the purchase of 10/12 Lansdowne Road on behalf of the domestic game. The return from this investment will continually help enable the future strategic development of the domestic game in Ireland.

“I would like to thank my family; my wife Lorna, children Ross, Lisa, and Mark, my two grandchildren and my brothers for their unwavering support over the years. I would also like to honour my late brother Gus, who broke his neck playing rugby for UCC against UCD in 1981, and who passed away eight years later.

“I would also like to pass on my best wishes to John Robinson who steps down as president and thank him for the very positive contribution he has made over the past 12 months.”

In keeping with previous years the financial statements for the union will not be released until November.