Every word as John Jeffrey delivers emotional press conference

“We weren’t in the library much but we did spend a good length of time in the restaurant and the bar. I also remember doing a rucking drill in the car park when Jim Telfer was coach and a wedding was going on in the hotel. The bride was not happy.”

Jeffrey was bright as a button as he reminisced about the good old days as he drank his coffee before his mood darkened as he made his bombshell announcement that he had withdrawn his candidacy to become the next chairman of World Rugby and would be stepping down with immediate effect from his role as vice-chairman of World Rugby and had also resigned as Scotland’s representative on the Six Nations board where he was President.

An emotional Jeffrey spoke for 40 minutes -14 of them without interruption at the start – as he stayed as calm as he could. He would have been bitter and angry inside but stayed composed although his voice broke once or twice. “To get beaten by my country is a real kick in the face,’he said. “But I know it is a war I am not going to win.”

He talked about how he felt the reason the SRU in general -not the board of Scottish Rugby Limited that run the governing body on a day to day basis- had blocked his candidature.

“It is a personal grudge against me speaking up over the governance review,’ said Jeffery. “I have been left as a lame duck without the support of the SRU. It is so sad.’’

Read more:

The former back row forward said by “pulling the rug” from under his World Rugby candidacy the SRU has sent Scottish rugby into the global wilderness for at least ten years. “I spent so much time building up relationships and now we have a void on international bodies and that will be the case I can guarantee for the next ten years,’ he said.

“Two or three people have now come into the race, some of them on the back of rumours from Scotland I did not have support. The really disappointing thing is that there is an Italian, an Australian and a French in the race. If I was beaten by one of them I would have accepted it but to get beaten by my own country is a real kick in the face. It is mind blowing to me. I find it hard to fathom.’

He defended the way he helped keep the governing body together during COVID and justified the SRU loss of around £10m as being down to investment in the men and women’s team among other things that has paid dividends with the men being sixth and the women fifth in the world rankings.

The other side of the story from sources within the SRU suggest they were not happy at the way Jeffrey ran the organisation when he was chairman of Scottish Rugby and a director of Scottish Rugby for four years until April, 2023, when he stood down to focus on his new role as World Rugby vice-chairman. They felt because of that they could not support him.

They accept there was a clash of personalities, especially allegedly between Jeffrey and Lorne Crerar, chairman of the Scottish Rugby Union custodian board. Others felt he was too close to former SRU chief executive Mark Dodson who was the highest paid official the governing body ever had. They also felt he didn’t act quickly enough or apologised early enough after Scotland women’s international Siobhan Cattigan died. 

The SRU’s nomination committee made up of four people from the SRU in general and two from Scottish Rugby Limited voted on Friday by 4-2 not to back him. The two who supported him were Scottish Rugby Limited chairman John McGuigan and his committee member Ruth Davidson. It is not known as yet who the four SRU members are who voted against him.

Pulling out of the race was not taken lightly by Jeffrey who had already appointed a manager to run his Borders farm when he was away on business as chairman of World Rugby for his four year term.

Scotland Rugby News called the SRU press department for a comment on Jeffrey’s accusations but they said they were not in a position to comment. Instead they referred all calls to Alex Barr of the PR agency, The Big Partnership. Mr Barr said there were no current plans to release a statement on the matter.

Here is every word of Jeffrey’s remarkable 40-minute press conference that has sent shockwaves through world rugby. For the first 14 minutes, a highly emotional Jeffrey talked without interruption.

Jeffrey said : “I have just tendered my resignation from Six Nations and World Rugby as Scotland’s representative on both. That is Six Nations council member, President of the Six Nations, World Rugby executive board member and vice-chairman.

“I do so because on Friday I was informed by the Scottish Rugby Union board that they were not going to endorse my candidacy as World Rugby chairman. Scottish Rugby Union is the body who are members of World Rugby so it is they that appoint people to international bodies like the Six Nations.

“There was a nominations meeting on Friday, a joint one between Scottish Rugby Union Limited and Scottish Rugby Union. Four from the Scottish Rugby Union and two from Scottish Rugby Limited.

“I got a letter informing me afterwards telling me they were no longer endorsing my candidacy. 

“‘Continued not to support’ were the words which was strange because up until now they have. The note also said that with my previous dealings with the SRU I do not need to know the reasons but if I wanted to I would have to get in touch with the chair of Scottish Rugby Union, Lorne Crerar. I wrote back and thanked him for his note and said, yes, I would like to know the reasons but could he put it in writing.

“He did that after speaking to his board. I got a note back from him on Tuesday around four detailing the reasons but I am not going into extreme details because it was a private and commercial letter but it was basically saying ‘the nature of my chairmanship over my term of office’ is why they were not backing me. To say I was surprised would be an understatement. 

“As you all know there is no love lost between myself and the Scottish Rugby Union board over the governance review. I think it goes back to that personally. It is still a  personal grudge against me speaking up over the governance review. They said it was not that and because of my chairmanship but there is no doubt between them and myself there has been stuff.

“I am a lame duck now because if I am representing Scottish rugby on these boards I can’t do that unless I have the full support of Scottish Rugby which I don’t have. I think it is in the interests of rugby and Scottish rugby that I stand down and they can put someone else in my place to prepare for post-election. 

John Jeffery at today’s press conference (Image: Rob Robertson)

“It is sad because Scotland had the chance to have somebody as chair of an international federation. That doesn’t come round very often. You probably have one chance in rugby. I have the backing of UK sport, I am sponsored by UK Sport, they have two people in my campaign team. The Scottish Government know about it, Scottish sport know about it. The Scottish Rugby Union has now pulled the rug from our chance to go on. 

“On whether there were personality clashes my question would be I don’t have to get on with everybody?  Surely we can put our differences aside for the better of Scotland, Scottish Rugby, Scottish sport? They have now pulled the rug from that. I sit as a JP, and I see spats between people, I know there is a spat between myself and the rest. I don’t hide from that. Surely for the greater good of rugby that can be put aside. I tried to get people to speak but they are not for changing.

“Second me standing I felt would improve Scottish Rugby’s standing on the world stage. Scottish rugby’s influence on international rugby will be hugely diminished by us not having somebody there. It does take a lot of time to build up these relationships. Ten years it took to get to the position I was in to head up Six Nations and be vice head of world rugby. That has been pulled away by the Scottish Rugby Union who the letter was from. This is so detrimental. I spent so much time building up relationships and now we have a void on international bodies and we will have that, I can guarantee you,  for the next ten years. We have lost any influence Scottish Rugby had by doing that. 

“Thirdly my other strand is I can’t understand their change of mind. They supported me in October, 2023 when I put out my candidature at the Rugby World Cup and supported me when I put forward my manifesto. Both my candidacy and my manifesto was run past the union in May, why pull the plug now? Why did they not pull it a year ago when they had the chance rather than waste time? What has changed in the intervening time? I have wasted a lot of time and energy as have a lot of other people. It is a terrible way to treat people. I find that really really hard to stomach. The first I heard about it was when I was getting calls from the RFU, from friends in England, and IFU saying I don’t have the support of Scottish rugby and I am going, ‘that is news to me,as far as I know I do.’

“I was going to go live with my campaign at the beginning of August, hit the newspapers that sort of stuff but I knew around then it looked like I didn’t have the support of the SRU so couldn’t do it. It was killed dead at that point. It has taken them six weeks, with holidays, meetings, to get here.

“Very naively I thought last Friday when the nominations committee met sense would prevail and they would say, ‘yes we will support you.’ I have enough promises from people I was going to win the election to be the next chairman of World Rugby and I would have won that election. Two or three more people have come into the race some of them on the back of the rumours from Scotland I did not have support. The really disappointing thing is that there is an Italian and Australian and French guy in the race. If I was beaten by one of them I would have accepted it. But to get beaten by my own country is a real kick in the face. I didn’t see it coming. Being beaten by my own country is mind blowing to me. I find it hard to fathom.

“People have said I could have stood without the support of SRU but that would not have worked. World rugby members said they would put me up. That way I would be totally independent but I would have had to be to be on the World Rugby council at the meeting to stand as you have to be nominated by your own union or region and that would not have happened.”

Jeffrey then stopped talking to have a drink of coffee. The press conference continued.

Did SRU fully support your World Rugby bid when you stepped down as chair of Scottish Rugby?

“They didn’t use the word ‘support’ because I did look back at that. I think the press release said ‘you’re free to concentrate on your bid’. So it was indicated they were supporting me. From that press release and the meeting I took the impression that they were fully supportive of me doing that. That was my reading of the meeting and of the press release.”

Did you think you were on a sticky wicket once Mark Dodson left given your close relationship?

“I don’t think Mark going had any influence on it. I think it was because I was vociferous in my views on the governance set-up that I was always on a sticky wicket.

“Any time since then there has always been a feeling of animosity when I’m around people [SRU people] and I’m not hiding from that. 

“I think you all know me and I’ve been advised by a lot of people not to go public with this and just accept it and move on. I know it’s a war I’m not going to win, I know that because under the governance structure that’s in place they have the power to do that and that’s fine, I get that.

“But, at the same time, I just want people to know the truth. I’m a pretty straight-talking guy. Should I wait two years and come out and say it?

“I’m not perfect and I accept that. I’m a different chair to other chairs. There have obviously been questions over the £10m loss last year and over the piece there have been pluses and minuses. But I chaired it over Covid where we got the biggest grant and loan of any sport in Scotland, and probably more than any other rugby country got either. That didn’t happen by just phoning them up. There was a lot of relationship-building with the Scottish Government and I’m eternally grateful to the Scottish Government, I really am. We worked really really hard on that.

“We got that through and at the same time we decided not to make redundancies. The easy option would have been to pay off 20 people, 40 people and it would have reduced our wage bill. But we were very conscious, me and my board, that we were going to take if forward with no redundancies. 

“Again, in the year post-Covid it would have been easy to go ‘let’s do that [make redundancies]’. Sadly, they are doing that now.

“We decided to invest more in the professional game at the top level and the one that gives me most pride is that we said we were going to invest in the women’s game quite heavily, more than any other country. As we sit here today, those decisions, in my opinion, have been proved right. We’re sixth in the world for men, fifth in the world for women and we won the URC. So, those investments, to me, have worked well.

“When I finished there were more females on my board than males so I achieved gender balance as well. Look, there were losses, and there are other sides to it but I just want to put my case.”

Spoken to World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont about your decision?

“He obviously expressed his disappointment at the fact that I was having to withdraw. Let’s leave it at that.”

Told World Rugby?

“I told everybody today. I’ve told Six Nations, World Rugby and Scottish Rugby.”

“The resignations have been made. It’s a funny one because I’ve nothing to resign from from Scottish Rugby.”

How do you feel towards Lorne Crerar?

“What I’m trying to do here is de-personalise it because I’ve always said it should be for the greater good of the game and I don’t want to make it about personalities. 

“But very disappointed that that’s the result that the Scottish union board has taken, absolutely. I would have thought that for the greater good of everybody differences could be put aside.

“I know it’s a battle I’m not going to win because I’m pretty sure tomorrow that they’re going to come out with something against me. I don’t want to do a tit-for-tat, he said, she said, so I’ll say my piece today and they’ll come back tomorrow, and I know the news will be over in two days’ time. I want to move on but I want my version out. Hopefully, I’m honest and frank and I’m not hiding anything and I’ll answer any questions you want. I just want my side of the story out and I’ve spoke to my family about it and they’re happy that I do that.”

🗣️“I’ve lost the support of the Scottish Rugby Union board.”

John Jeffrey talks to @ROB_Robireland on a remarkable day for Scottish rugby.

🔗 https://t.co/YtNK2Y9YdY pic.twitter.com/Q6hSF5wHTH

— Scotland Rugby News (@ScotRugbyNews) September 18, 2024

Is it a clash of personalities that is denying you this opportunity?

“I think it is a clash of personalities, personally. But there are two sides to every story and there will be a story that comes out of the Scottish Rugby Union board tomorrow.

“I don’t want to come in and make it a personality clash because that’s not great for our game either. They’ll say it was the unanimous decision of the Scottish Rugby Union, so it’s not just Lorne, it’s everyone.”

Why were you opposed to governance review?

“I just could not see how a two-tier board works. One of the classic examples would be the appointment of Alex Williamson last week. He’s appointed and two chairmen say ‘what a great appointment’. Which chairman trumps which? Which one is Alex Williamson’s chairman?

“If you look at Wales, they’ve been through hell as well, governance-wise. They’ve set up a new structure which is similar to what we had: four-four-four, an equal mixture of non-execs, execs and council members. Streamline it, make it easy.

“The principle [of new Scottish governance] could work. They say it was meant to be light touch, but it’s not light touch. The three things that the Scottish Rugby Council are allowed to do are approve the accounts, approve the strategy and approve the nomination of the chair of Scottish Rugby Limited.

“The World Rugby elections were coming up but I would have gladly stood and bring in another person under me as a vice-chair, and regardless whether I was successful or not in the November elections I would be standing down from Scottish Rugby, whether I won or lost. It was time to move on and I’d have the chair ready to go.

“They opposed it which, by the way, they are allowed to do because that’s part of the constitution but it smacked of not being very light touch. I still think it’s a structure people struggle to understand. Most people in Scotland don’t really understand the governance structure. 

“If Scottish Rugby Limited were supporting my candidature [for World Rugby chair) and the Scottish Rugby Union aren’t then someone has to make the final decision. I get that. One thing I opposed or suggested otherwise was that I had a very famous former player come to me three or four weeks ago asking if he would stand as president, because I’m very keen on presidents being ambassadorial – I see that in other countries.

“I explained the structure to them, and they went ‘Six years?’ I said yes: ‘two years as vice-president, two years as president and two years as immediate past president. They said: ‘I can’t give up six years of my life.’

Could governance review have been handled differently?

“Of course it could have been handled differently, I could have been handled differently from both sides. I don’t deny that.”

Can you clarify that you have ended all formal involvement in rugby?

“It’s not the way I envisaged it ending but yes. It’s a shame. Somebody did say to me: ‘Did you not read the tin before you opened it about rugby politics?’ And I have been a bit naive. I thought it might have been at World Rugby not domestic level.

“That’s my involvement finished. It is just a real shame because from a personal point of view, I think I could have made a real difference at World Rugby. Even this week I had two of the regions text me saying we really need to discuss the future, we like your manifesto, we think you can do things ..

“I have the energy, I have the drive, I have restructured my farm business to take another couple of employees on, to hopefully free me up for the next four years.

“But I think there is a huge challenge ahead for world Rugby over the next four years and I’ve been quite clear about what I want to do. It is about sustainability because everybody in rugby is struggling, it doesn’t matter whether it is cubs, unions, federations – we are all living beyond our means.

e need to make this game sustainable, and I’ve got ways I think we can do that – but at the same time build on the women’s game, which doesn’t make money bit we’ve got to find other sources of income to sort that out.

“So, I’ve got the energy, I’ve got the drive, and I’ve hopefully got the vision. But, in terms of being finished, yeah.”

Academic now but you are a World Rugby establishment man so people might not believe you will change anything?

“Absolutely, but the fact that I have been a part of World Rugby gives me an insight into how it works. You’ve got somebody like Abdel Benazzi throwing his hat in, or Andrea [Rinaldo], they’ve only been in World Rugby for six months. And the fact that they are not on the top Boards means they don’t know how it works.

“I totally agree, quite often it does need a fresh pair of eyes, and you can also get accused of all the things that have happened in the past of you being part of it, which is why I’ve said quite clearly that I was only going to do one term, while everybody ese was going to go for two terms – because doing one term meat I wouldn’t have to pussy-foot round looking for votes, I could just say: ‘This is what I am doing. This is how I am going to change it. And after four years I am going to be out.’

“Also, I’m 65 years old, I’m white, I’m male and we need to change the image of rugby. And I totally buy into that, and that’s what I wanted to help do.”

How did you get on with the Scottish Rugby Limited?

“They were supportive. Through John McGuigan my dealings were with Scottish Rugby Limited because they are the operating Board, and I was reporting back to them on what was happening in Six Nations and what was happening in World Rugby.

“I was saying we need to get permission before we go forward because I don’t want to have egg on my face. So, John went to the Joint Nominations meeting and came back said ‘yes, you do have the support’. So, I had support. Now, no doubt, you will get a different story tomorrow.”

Could your have dealt with the death of Siobhan Cattigan better ?

“No matter what I say about that now, the Siobhan incident was tragic. I’ve got two young girls myself, for anybody to lose anybody, you struggle to understand how they might feel. So obviously there was issues at the time but that’s no excuse, and we certainly could have had handled it better and I could understand why some people might throw that against me.

“What I would say is that there were people on my board at that time who are now on the Board of Custodians, and while the Chairman does take responsibility – and I take full responsibility – it was a Board decision at both levels.”

Why would it be good for a Scot to have been World Rugby chair?

“When you become Chairman, you become independent, but it gives Scottish Rugby a direct line into what is happening. If it is a Frenchman or an Italian, you don’t have that direct line, so yes of course it makes a difference. Are you trying to tell me that England aren’t benefitting from Bill Beaumont being Chairman of World Rugby?”

What now?

“I’ll probably spend more time on the farm. It will be more efficiently run that it has been in the past. I’ll go and see my daughter who has just started university in the Hague. Might go down to Poynder Park a bit more often.

“I’ve not given any thought on what I’ll use my time for. I did buy a holiday in Florence at one of Doddie Weir’s events so I need to do that before the end of the year.”

Could you go back to Murrayfield?

“Probably not in hospitality. I’m still a passionate supporter of Scottish rugby, so yeas I’ll go back, but it is more likely to be in scabby boots and jeans and an old rugby top with a couple of pints.”