Steele leaves RFU post
RFU chief executive John Steele has stood down from his post it has been announced.
It is though that Steele stood down from his post on Friday following an emergency board meeting on Thursday night.
Steele has endured a turbulent time as chief executive of the Rugby Football Union with the selection of a new performance director causing fractions within the board.
An announcement from rugby headquarters at Twickenham read: "The Rugby Football Union (RFU) Board of Directors can confirm that John Steel has left the Union with immediate effect. At the current time there is nothing more we can add while discussions are on going and we will update further as we are able.
Criticism of Steele centred around a change in the performance director role, removing any involvement with the senior England, with accusations from many of attempts to take former England coach Clive Woodward out of the running.
Upon Steele's announcement as new chief executive last June the move was hailed as progressive. One of Steele's first major actions in his new role was to send a letter to England squad members as the RFU looked to take the same stance as the Southern hemisphere nations in not selecting players who ply their trade abroad.
This news however did not prevent fly-half Jonny Wilkinson extending his stay with Toulon has does not look like luring James Haskell back to England.
At the beginning of the year Steele announced plans for a major restructuring of the RFU with the establishment of a new rugby department split into three sections performance, operations and development. The role of elite rugby director held by Rob Andrew was scrapped, Andrew going onto secure the operations role, many believing Clive Woodward to be favourite for the performance role.
Last month Steele sought to move the goal posts by changing the role of the performance director. In doing so Steele removed any involvement with the senior England side with the focus upon development of talent looking ahead to the 2015 World Cup to be held in England.
Many commentators saw this move as an effort to rule Clive Woodward out of the running for the role. The RFU however went onto to carry out a remarkable u-turn, returning the job specification to its original form.
The RFU then went onto reiterate support for Steele's planned reforms, even after overturning his decision a matter of hours early. With Clive Woodward ruling himself out the running an RFU board meeting was called, without Steele, to investigate the recruitment process following the reluctance from touted applicants to attend interviews, namely Nick Mallett and Eddie Jones.
This turbulent year in the job has ultimately seen the end of Steele going from a beginning that promised so much to a departure that has left the RFU some what read faced in its confusion over a job description.
The news of the vacation of his chief executive post comes just ten days after Steele's note of defiance in the face of criticism over the handling of the appointment process.
"Yes, there has been this bump in the road but it doesn't mean that what we put in terms of plans for the future isn't still as valid as it was six months ago, he said.
"In fact, that last six months have shown me even more the need for change. We need to work differently I have been brought in to drive that change, and that is exactly what I will do.
This whole episode will leave the management board rather embarrassed following claims of amateurism and it has certainly not shown the RFU in the best light ahead of a crucial Rugby World Cup this autumn.
