Pichot In the Run to lead World Rugby

The following from News24:-

Former Argentina captain Agustin Pichot announced on Sunday that he will challenge England's Bill Beaumont to lead World Rugby.

"This is a critical election at a critical time for Rugby." Pichot said in a tweet announcing he would run for the position of chairperson in this month's election.

Pichot, 45, retired as a player in 2009. He has served under Beaumont as a vice-chairperson of World Rugby since 2016.

A scrumhalf, Pichot won 71 caps for the Pumas and played club rugby in Europe for Bristol and the two Paris clubs: Stade Francais and Racing.

"It's time to change, to focus our attention, love and dedication to all Unions and federations equally," he wrote in a manifesto attached to the tweet.

"We all fight for and believe in a fair, equal and more inclusive world," he wrote, going on to promise to "support both established and emerging unions" to make them "competitive and strong".

"The current crisis is an opportunity for the global realignment of our game," he wrote.

Pichot proposes reforming rugby's calendar. He said he tried and failed as vice-president and, in an interview published on Sunday, blamed Beaumont.

"We really had to take action to change the world calendar, I felt a lot of resistance from Bill," Pichot told French sports daily L'Equipe.

"We think differently," Pichot said of Beaumont.

Beaumont is running with the president of the French Federation, Bernard Laporte, as his candidate for vice-chairperson.

Pichot said he is running "alone".

The election is due to take place on 26 April by an electronic vote with an announcement of the results on 12 May.

following fromn News24."

I would have supported Pichot as Chairman - since I think the present management is being a vehicle for UK rugby and no for World Rugby.

I hope they can convince the SH rugby and especially the Pacific Is lands to vote for this visionary young chap involved in the professional game.   I believe it is necessary to look at World Rugby of the future and not the past.   

Fact is the reasons for leaving by younger players are different from what is alleged above,  In the UK and France the fact is that there are not enough youngsters coming through the ranks and the NH clubs realizing that is now even cradle snatching to get SA schoolboys to go to England.  In SA there are indeed financial restraints and the Unions has essentially to limit their intake of youngsters - which also has an impact on youngsters leaving SA,

Some of the youngsters are making hay in their NH clubs - but they are not out of contention for future selection for the Springboks anyway,   Some will fall through the net and ended up playing for the NH countries because of total ignorance by our three previous  coaches when it came to teams election and player performances.      .           

Oh dear, Mr Nobody Can Change My Preconceived Ideas has stumbled into another hole. Largest player pools in world rugby:

1. France
2. South Africa
3. England
4. Australia
5. New Zealand

"Aug you've read the Wikipedia table of registered players wrong".

I didn't consult Vater Vikipedia. 

This is the Idiots parade of  AO and SB again.  If France have that massive a pool of  players  why their massive campaign to get SA players to play for them on professional club level.   Then we have the UK club story and Ireland as well.

In the England WC squad 8 of the 31 England players were not born in the UK,   In the French squad there were in the 60-Nations the 2 locks used were from SA.  Go to teams like Montperllier and Toulon have a relatively high percentage of players are from SH countries, 

There may be hundreds of thousands of amateur and school players who would not meet professional standards.   If not so - why the high number of SH players in their clubs and  even national teams?.   Why the big recruitment drive even from school level?

But we have unfortunately got rugby idiots on site and must live with having them.    .