Scotland legend John Jeffrey said he feels “hurt, bitter and betrayed” as the former flanker ended his bid to become chairman of World Rugby after failing to secure the support of his own union.
Jeffrey is the vice-chairman of the game’s governing body and was considered the favourite to succeed Sir Bill Beaumont as head of World Rugby in November.
But the 65-year-old, one of the stars of Scotland’s 1990 Grand Slam-winning team, was informed on Friday that Scottish Rugby would not be backing his candidacy.
Jeffrey was chairman of the Scottish Rugby Limited Board from 2020-23 and was told various aspects of his performance in that role were the reasons he could not be supported in his bid to be chair of World Rugby.
“I’m very bitter. I’m very upset – very, very upset. To be beaten by your own country really, really hurts,” he told BBC Sport Scotland.
“It came as a huge shock. It doesn’t reflect well on us as a country. People are now laughing at us – ‘you said you were standing and now you’re not’.
“I don’t know if they are laughing at me or if they’re laughing at Scottish Rugby, but they’re certainly laughing. It does not reflect well on the [SRU] board.
“There’s a lot of politics. I know I was favourite to win. There was opposition in terms of candidates from Italy, France and Australia and had I been beaten by any of them of them I would have shaken their hands and said ‘well done’.
“What really sticks in my throat is that I got beaten by my own country. My own country at the 11th hour have withdrawn their nomination, which beggars belief.
“Betrayed is not too strong a word. I’m out, I’m back to farming again.”
The Scottish Rugby board has declined to comment.
Capped 40 times by Scotland and a British and Irish Lions tourist in 1989, he has held senior positions within Scottish Rugby and World Rugby since 2010.
In light of Scottish Rugby’s decision, Jeffrey is resigning as president of the Six Nations and as an executive board member, council member and vice-chairman of World Rugby.
He is retiring from all rugby union administration in order to return to his farm in Kelso in the Borders.
His withdrawal means the race for arguably the most powerful role in the game is down to former France back row Abdelatif Benazzi, ex-Australia flanker Brett Robinson and professor Andrea Rinaldo, the former Italy lock.
Beaumont, the former England captain, is stepping down after two terms and World Rugby’s council will vote for his successor later this year.
‘I thought I could make a difference’
Jeffrey believes he was in pole position to land the role and that holding it would have been a boost for the game in Scotland.
“Would I have won it? I probably would, but the other candidates might say the same thing,” he added.
“I was favourite. I had the energy, drive and commitment. It was going to be hard, but I was really looking forward to it. I thought I could make a difference.
“It’s hugely damaging for Scottish Rugby. We had the chance to have somebody chairing an international sporting federation.
“My question is why are we shooting ourselves in the foot? There is bad blood [between Jeffrey and some in the SRU], but surely for the greater good of Scottish rugby you put your differences aside. But it’s not going to happen.
“We now have to go back to the drawing board. We [Scottish Rugby] will have nobody on these decision-making bodies for the next decade.”
