The board of Munster Rugby has commissioned an independent governance and organisational review.
The move comes following the recent decision not to go ahead with the appointment of Roger Randle as attack coach by “mutual agreement”.
Randle’s appointment had provoked disquiet among Munster supporters and activists due to an allegation of rape against Randle in 1997 made in Durban, South Africa, when the one-time winger was touring with New Zealand’s Hurricanes for a Super Rugby fixture.
All charges in the case were dropped, with Randle saying recently that he maintains his “complete and unwavering innocence, as I always have”.
In recent weeks Munster have suffered fallout with resignations from voluntary members of its Commercial Advisory Group and three independent Professional Games Board members – former players Billy Holland, Killian Keane and Mick O’Driscoll.
Munster Rugby confirmed last month that Roger Randle would not be joining the province following a mutal agreement between the province and the coach. Photograph: Michael Bradley/Getty Images
A statement from Munster Rugby points to a much wider brief for the review, which will be carried out by an independent consultancy.
“The purpose of the review is to assess the organisation’s governance, leadership, culture and communications structures and to provide recommendations back to the board,” read a statement released on Tuesday morning.
“The review will be conducted by The Governance Company, an independent consultancy specialising in corporate governance, and will be led by David Duffy. The review will be overseen by an external independent chair, who will be appointed in the coming days.”
Munster Rugby Board chair, Ger Malone, said: “The board is fully committed to ensuring that Munster Rugby upholds the highest standards of governance across the organisation. Commissioning this independent review is an important part of that commitment.
“We are determined to ensure that our governance and organisational arrangements support clear, robust and accountable decision-making.”
Munster Rugby chief executive, Ian Flanagan, said: “It is clear that the past number of weeks have been difficult for staff, players, coaches, supporters, and everyone who cares about Munster Rugby.
“We recognise the impact that recent events and decisions have had on our stakeholders. This independent review is an important step in ensuring we can learn from past events and strengthen how we can positively operate going forward.
“We look forward to working fully with The Governance Company and independent chair to support an effective review process. The primary and clear objective of this important exercise is the overall wellbeing of Munster Rugby.”