Bill Beaumont has been re-elected as World Rugby chairman for another four years, the governing body announced on Saturday.
Beaumont, 68, defeated former Argentina captain Agustin Pichot by 28 votes to 23 to secure a second consecutive term.
“I am honoured to accept the mandate of the World Rugby Council to serve as the international federation’s chairman once again and would like to thank my union and region colleagues, members of the global rugby family and, of course, my family for their full support and trust,” Beaumont said in a statement.
“I would like to thank Gus for his friendship and support over the last four years. While we stood against each other in this campaign, we were aligned in many ways and I have the utmost respect for him. Gus is passionate about the sport and his contribution has been significant.”
“As an organisation, we must lead, be transparent, accountable and continue to serve for all. We must be united in our drive to make this great sport even better, simpler, safer and more accessible. We must listen to players, fans, competitions, our unions and regions, and take decisions that are in the best interests of all with our strong values to the fore.
“Now is not the time for celebration. We have work to do. We are tackling COVID-19 and must implement an appropriate return-to-rugby strategy that prioritises player welfare, while optimising any opportunity to return to international rugby this year in full collaboration with club competitions for the good of players, fans and the overall financial health of the sport.”
French Rugby Federation president Bernard Laporte, who was running unopposed, was elected vice-chairman.
“Congratulations to my friend Sir Bill Beaumont on his re-election,” Laporte said. “I would also like to express my best wishes to Agustín Pichot, a legend of Argentinian rugby and a great rugby leader.
“I also want to thank all unions who have expressed their opinion in this important ballot, giving a clear mandate for the governance which Bill and I will undertake on their behalf.
“During this unprecedented and global COVID-19 crisis, we must act and unite unions from the north and south and the professional leagues around a common objective to define a strong and sustainable future for all. We will pursue these reforms together and act in solidarity with the rugby family, to drive the game forward on and off the field, further the welfare of our players and make the sport more attractive and accessible.”