Uruguay welcomed to first World Rugby Council meeting

Sir Bill Beaumont officially welcomed the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay to their first World Rugby Council meeting today, marking an historic moment for the sport.

Represented by Fernando de Posadas, Uruguay’s first meeting was via teleconference owing to the ongoing impact of the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Uruguay were appointed on to Council in October 2019 having successfully achieved the required good governance criteria in line with World Rugby’s revised governance process launched in November 2015.

They follow in the footsteps of Fiji, Samoa, Georgia, Romania and USA in taking a place on the international federation’s supreme decision-making body under the new governance structures and will act as an inspiration for other unions aspiring to take a seat on Council.

Beaumont said: "I am delighted to officially welcome Fernando to his first Council meeting. Uruguay is a leading light of South American rugby and a growing presence on the world stage. We look forward to their contributions in this forum to the continued growth of the sport."

Fernando de Posadas said: "This is an important day for the Unión de Rugby del Uruguay. We are encouraging and pushing ourselves to be the best we can be on and off the field, and a seat at Council ensures that our voice will be heard in the decision-making process, which is great for Uruguay and South American rugby.

"We look forward to continue working for the game in our country, region and around the globe."

Editors' Notes

About World Rugby: World Rugby is committed to the global advancement of rugby and its character-building values to build a better, stronger game for all. The global rugby community comprises 9.6 million players and 338 million fans affiliated via 124 national member unions in six regions and driven by the commercial success of Rugby World Cup, World Rugby is planning to invest GBP £620 million at all levels of the game between 2020 and 2023, eclipsing the previous four-year cycle by 28 per cent, to ensure strong and sustainable growth. www.world.rugby.

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