From:
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2024 5:40 PM
To:
Subject: ITV Wales news item

Good evening

Bringing to your attention and sharing with you a written statement which has been given to ITV Wales in advance of a news item to be aired this evening, Tuesday 20 February, from 6pm.

Our CEO Abi Tierney has also given an interview to ITV Wales which expands on some of the sentiment found below.

We have been informed that the interview and associated news item will feature alongside a contribution from a former Group employee, who has asked to remain anonymous.

Specifically, this individual describes negative experiences whilst working for the Group in 2019 and 2021. 

It should be noted that we have taken care to respect this individual’s desire to remain anonymous in the words provided below, which should explain the lack of any direct reference to an incident or incidents. 

Finally, we feel it is important to let you know that Abi has repeated calls today to WRU staff and anyone who has been affected by what is described or any other related incident to please get in touch with her directly, contact their line manager or use the anonymous hotline found via the SeeHearSpeakUp  website or at 0800 056 2539, to seek support.

Comment:

‘Firstly, it is vitally important for me, on behalf of everyone at the Welsh Rugby Union, to formally apologise directly to the individual involved. The behaviour described is totally unacceptable and was not ever, and will not ever, be tolerated.

‘Our culture did not prevent such an incident from happening and, whilst we know our People team worked hard to offer support and care over an extended period of time, some of our HR policies for addressing such incidences were not right. We have said already that we regret the use of non-disclosure settlements or similar arrangements where employment ended. 

‘More widely, I would like to reiterate the full apology both myself and others have previously offered to anyone who has been affected by issues and challenges highlighted by our recent Independent Review. 

‘Although the person has wished to remain anonymous,  from the description of the circumstances,  it is our understanding that this is one of the cases examined by the Review and in this way has already fed the recommendations for change that we are committed to deliver.  The Review gives us a roadmap to continuous improvement and our current progress against the recommendations can be found here:   https://community.wru.wales/cy/the-wru/reports/ ’

‘The Review was conducted independently to the WRU. However, we know that the Review Team made many direct approaches and had an open call for people to speak to them and we co-operated with and encouraged this. Specifically, we made it clear that we would be happy for anyone to speak freely with the Review Team, including those who had left employment and were the subject of confidentiality arrangements. People who spoke to the Review team did so on a confidential basis. We therefore cannot confirm and do not know whether this person decided to speak to the Review or not.

‘We continue to encourage people to access our whistleblowing line if they are uncomfortable speaking to their line management about any issues. As we have already said, we understood that historical cases may come forward during and after the Review period. We continue to welcome dialogue with anyone involved or affected by any of the issues raised, so that we can apologise to them and continue to learn and improve.’

WRU Group CEO Abi Tierney.

Dywedodd Prif Weithredwr Undeb Rygbi Cymru Abi Tierney:

‘Yn gyntaf, mae’n hynod o bwysig i mi, fy mod ar ran pawb yn Undeb Rygbi Cymru, yn ymddiheuro’n ffurfiol i’r unigolyn o dan sylw. Mae’r ymddygiad â ddisgrifiwyd yn hollol anerbyniol ac ni fydd fyth yn cael ei oddef.

‘Mae’n amlwg na lwyddodd ein diwylliant o fewn y gweithle ar y pryd i atal y digwyddiad. Ry’n ni’n gwybod y gweithiodd ein tîm Adnoddau Dynol (Pobl) yn galed dros gyfnod maith o amser, i gynnig cefnogaeth a gofal. Ry’n ni hefyd wedi dysgu y gellid fod wedi gwneud rhai pethau’n well yn ystod y broses. Ry’n ni eisoes wedi dweud ei bod yn edifar gennym bod cytundebau atal datgelu a threfniadau tebyg wedi eu defnyddio pan ddaeth y cyfnod cyflogaeth i ben.

‘Yn ehangach, hoffwn bwysleisio unwaith eto ein bod yn ymddiheuro’n llawn i unigolion sydd wedi cael eu heffeithio gan ddigwyddiadau a heriau sydd wedi eu nodi yn yr Adolygiad Annibynnol diweddar. 

‘Er bod y person ar yr achlysur hwn, wedi penderfynu aros yn ddi-enw – mae’r disgrifiadau a’r amgylchiadau yn ein harwain i gredu bod yr achos penodol hwn, eisoes wedi cael ei archwilio gan y Panel Adolygu. Mae’r Panel hwnnw wedi cynnig argymhellion penodol i ni ac ry’n ni fel Undeb wedi ymrwymo i gyflwyno’r newidiadau hynny. Mae’r broses hon yn cynnig arweiniad clir i ni am sut y gallwn ni barhau i wella ein darpariaeth a gellir gweld statws ein ymrwymiadau a’r hyn sydd eisoes wedi ei weithredu yma: https://community.wru.wales/cy/the-wru/reports/ ’

Er mai adolygiad annibynnol oedd hwn, ry’n ni’n gwybod i aelodau o’r Tîm Adolygu gysylltu’n uniongyrchol gydag unigolion gan wahodd pobl i rannu eu profiadau. Mae Undeb Rygbi Cymru wedi annog hyn hefyd ac wedi cydweithio’n llwyr gyda’r broses. Rydym yn benodol – wedi datgan ein bodlonrwydd i unrhyw unigolyn siarad yn agored gyda’r Tîm Adolygu – gan gynnwys cyn-aelodau staff oedd wedi arwyddo cytundebau atal datgelu. ‘Roedd yr holl sgyrsiau hyn yn gyfrinachol ac felly ni allwn gadarnhau – gan nad ydym yn gwybod hynny – os y gwnaeth yr unigolyn o dan sylw yng nghyd-destun yr honiad penodol hwn – siarad gyda’r Adoygiad neu beidio.

‘Ry’n ni’n parhau i annog unigolion i ddefnyddio ein llinell ffôn gyfrinachol ‘Chwythu’r Chwiban’ os nad ydynt yn gyfforddus yn trafod unrhyw fater gyda’u rheolwr llinell. ‘Roedd yr Undeb yn deall y byddai’n bosib i achosion hanesyddol gael eu cyflwyno yn ystod ac wedi cyfnod yr Adolygiad. Mae Undeb Rygbi Cymru yn parhau i groesawu trafodaeth gydag unrhyw unigolyn sydd wedi cael ei effeithio gan unrhyw fater sydd wedi cael ei godi – fel y gallwn ymddiheuro iddynt a pharhau i ddysgu a gwella’n darpariaeth yn y dyfodol.”

Diwedd

Ends