Former Irish Rugby Football Union President Peter Boyle has resigned from an interview panel amid claims that "unsuccessful applicants for the post of chief executive were lied to," according to Mark Souster of the LONDON TIMES. In his resignation from the executive committee of the International Rugby Board, Boyle said, “I cannot in all conscience take part in the current interview process. The process in my opinion is fundamentally flawed and not open, fair and transparent.” E-mails and documents seen by The Times indicate that 12 applicants for the £325,000 ($407,712) per-year post "were not properly considered and that a meeting supposedly held to assess their suitability never took place." The scandal could have "damaging repercussions" for the IRB and its chairman, Bernard Lapasset. At the heart of the controversy is how the IRB went about cutting a list of 16 candidates to four, who were recommended for interview in April. The unsuccessful candidates were told that, "after a meeting of the panel to assess their credentials, they had not made the shortlist." Boyle: “The contents of this letter were a total fabrication and lie — no such meeting had even taken place. Following further inquiries it has emerged the recruitment agent agreed the final four candidates with the chairman and they were notified to attend a meeting in London on May 4-5 without reference to the other panel members." An IRB spokesperson said: “There is a process in place and that process is on-going. At this stage it would be inappropriate to comment further” (LONDON TIMES, 6/7).
