Historical allegations made to whistleblowing emailEnglish rugby league’s governing body under pressure
The Rugby Football League has received multiple anonymous whistleblowing complaints containing historical allegations of sexism and misogyny in the workplace.
The complaints come amid turmoil in the English game’s governing body for weeks, with the chair, Simon Johnson, and three female directors resigning earlier this month and the Bradford Bulls chairman, Nigel Wood, appointed to head a “club-led strategic review” of the sport after a bitter power struggle.
Several formal complaints have been made in the past fortnight alleging a historical sexist culture and the use of misogynistic language overheard by female staff at the RFL.
Sport England, which is providing £11.9m of government funding to the RFL over five years until 2027, has been made aware of the complaints, with senior officials expressing concerns.
Australia’s National Rugby League is unhappy about the RFL’s board changes, leading to fears they could jeopardise its plans to buy a stake in Super League.
The International Rugby League board is considering removing England’s seat from the 10-strong board that runs the international game.
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