RUGBY:ENGLISH RUGBY was plunged into uncertainty three months before the start of the World Cup after Rugby Football Union (RFU) chief executive John Steele left his post yesterday.

The governing body issued a short statement announcing his departure without giving details but Steele, appointed a year ago, had been under pressure over his handling of the recruitment process for a performance director last month.

His exit came after a late-night extraordinary board meeting, the latest in a series of talks after Steele changed his mind over the job description for the vacancy which World Cup-winning coach Clive Woodward had been linked with.

Steele had announced plans to water down the role to have no involvement with the senior national team before the RFU performed a U-turn two days later by saying the job would, after all, include control of all levels of the English game.

Woodward ruled himself out of the running, leaving the RFU without a candidate with little time remaining before England head to New Zealand for the World Cup in September and October.

“The Rugby Football Union (RFU) Board of Directors can confirm that John Steele has left the Union with immediate effect,” the RFU statement said. “At the current time there is nothing more we can add while discussions are ongoing and we will update further as we are able.”

While the RFU gave little away, insiders said it was clear the Woodward debacle was the catalyst for Steele’s departure.

“The whole thing is a mess and has been handled badly and the RFU comes out of it looking like the amateur bumblers people used to accuse us of being,” one former council member said.

“Clive is the elephant in the room. The job description was written for him and anyone who knows him will tell you once it was changed it was always going to be impossible to work with the people who clearly didn’t want him.”