Scottish Rugby chair John Jeffrey steps down to focus on World Rugby role

Scottish Rugby chair John Jeffrey is stepping down from his position to take on a new role with World Rugby.

The former Scotland international will have his new role as vice-chair of governing body World Rugby ratified next month and says the demands mean he has to draw a line under his three years in the leadership role at Murrayfield.

Jeffrey also confirmed that he will not seek re-appointment as a non-executive director.

He said: “It made sense, given the enormous demands of the World Rugby vice-chair role, especially at such an exciting time for the game, with the World Cup later this year in France, to give the SRU clarity on my intentions and to focus 100% on my new role.

“It’s been an enormous privilege to have helped grow the game in Scotland over the past three years and I am looking forward to what will, I am sure, be a hugely demanding and satisfying term as vice-chair.”

Professor Lorne Crerar, chair of the SRU, said: “John has been one of the truly iconic figures in the Scottish game over the past four decades and we wish him every success in his new, global role. It will be hugely prestigious for Scottish Rugby to have one of our own at the sport’s top table.”

Colin Rigby, president of Scottish Rugby, who sits on the SRU Board, said: “On behalf of the SRU, I’d like to thank John for his efforts at many levels of the sport and wish him well in his important new role.

“As part of our new governance structures, adopted last November, we had already begun a recruitment exercise to appoint a new chair of Scottish Rugby Limited.

“I am pleased to say we have an outstanding roster of highly respected, experienced and successful candidates, each with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience to ensure that Scottish rugby is best placed to thrive and succeed in the coming years. We expect to be able to announce this pivotal appointment in the coming weeks.”