IRFU Reaches 40% Gender Balance On Union Committee
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) today is pleased to announce that following the final Union Committee meeting of the year, a gender balance of 40% has been reached with the addition of three co-opted delegates.
The IRFU Committee, which is a representative body, is now comprised of twenty nine people, with each province providing five delegates.
The remaining positions are the President, two Vice Presidents, Chairperson, Honorary Treasurer, and International Affairs Committee Chairperson, along with the three new co-opted delegates – Maeve Carton, Fiona Sweeney, and Joanne Geary.
Carton, former chair of the National Treasury Management Agency, worked for most of her career with one of Ireland’s leading companies, CRH, in a variety of roles, including Group Finance Director and Group Transformation Director.
Sweeney is a business & marketing consultant with an extensive background from previous senior roles in Kerry Group, Musgrave, Coca-Cola, and Diageo.
Geary is Managing Director of MyHome.ie and previously worked with Sherry FitzGerald and Savills.
IRFU President Greg Barrett welcomed the new additions, saying:
The IRFU Committee is comprised of individuals who are passionate about driving the game forward in a positive manner, so I am thrilled that we are adding three highly talented and experienced female leaders in Maeve Carton, Fiona Sweeney, and Joanne Geary.”
Speaking about the process, IRFU Chief Executive Kevin Potts added: “We undertook a robust recruitment process which was a great opportunity to look for some complementary skills to add to those existing on the committee, and we are really pleased with the three candidates we have today brought on board.
“These additions give us a gender balance of 40%, a commitment we made to the Government and Sport Ireland, and I am pleased we could deliver on that in the agreed timeframe.
“We look forward now to a fruitful working relationship with all parties, driving Irish Rugby forward in a positive and inclusive manner.”
IRFU Committee – 2023/24:
President: Greg Barrett
Vice Presidents: Declan Madden (Senior Vice President) and John O’Driscoll (Junior Vice President)
Honorary Treasurer: Patrick Kennedy
Chairperson of the Management Committee: Niall Rynne
Chairperson of International Affairs Committee and World Rugby Executive Board: Su Carty
Connacht Branch Representatives: Gerry Casey, Yvonne Comer, Kevin Dineen, Josephine Feehily, Liam Rattigan
Leinster Branch Representatives: Grainne Carroll, Robert Deacon, Joe McDermott, Tony O’Beirne, Rachael O’Brien
Munster Branch Representatives: Mick Collopy, Regina Moran, Gerry O’Shea, David Ryan, Fiona Steed
Ulster Branch Representatives: Stephen Black, John McKibbin, Diane Nixon, Mark Orr, Laura Thompson
Co-opted Delegates: Maeve Carton, Fiona Sweeney, Joanne Geary