WRU was in denial on sexism - acting chief exec

There were "warning signs" of sexism in Welsh Rugby Union but the organisation was "in denial", its acting chief executive has said.

Nigel Walker apologised when questioned by a Senedd committee on Thursday.

An MP said on Wednesday that the Welsh government was aware of the claims after they were raised in the Commons last year.

The Senedd's culture committee is holding a hearing into the allegations, and will later hear evidence from Welsh government sports minister Dawn Bowden.

WRU chief executive Steve Phillips resigned at the weekend, while the union has announced an "external taskforce" will be created to review accusations of sexism, misogyny and racism.

Mr Walker told the Senedd: "I think in any organisation, especially a large organisation like the Welsh Rugby Union, it's possible for things to happen over a period of time and for people to turn a blind eye and not to address those problems."

"So the warning signs have been there for quite some time.

"When it's presented as graphically as it was during that programme, the BBC Wales programme the week before last, it hits you like a 10-ton truck."

He apologised and said his thoughts were with staff and players who had negative experiences.

"To be candid, I think as an organisation we have been in denial as to the extent of the problem," he said.

Cases had been "in theory dealt with and people have moved on".

"Each individual case has been an indication that there has been a wider problem but people have not joined the dots," he said.

Mr Walker said an unpublished report commissioned by WRU into the women's game "would not make comfortable reading" and work was being done to get a "redacted version" published.

"The report will not make comfortable reading for those involved in the WRU but I personally have no objection to the report being released."

Mr Walker said the name of the person appointed to chair a taskforce to review the culture within the WRU should be announced on Friday.

She was woman with experience of working in the judiciary, he told Senedd members.

The review's terms of reference would also be revealed on Friday, he said, with the remaining panel members named at the beginning of next week and the taskforce starting its work at the end of next week.