IRB Council

IRB Chairman, Bernard Lapasset

Year Joined: 1992

Bernard Lapasset played for Agen, winning the French Junior Championship in 1967, and for the PUC (Paris Université Club). He was the FFR's Secretary General in 1991 becoming President the following year. He also served as Chairman of the International Rugby Football Board in 1995.

IRB Vice-Chairman, Bill Beaumont

Year Joined: 1999

Bill Beaumont captained England 21 times. He was an inspiring captain of the North of England, whom he led to victory over the All Blacks in 1979, and also of England, who won their first Grand Slam for 23 years in 1980. Beaumont retired from rugby because of injury in 1982. He then became a highly popular television commentator and personality, and also the managing director of his family's textile business in Lancashire.

Africa (CAR), Abdelaziz Bougja

Year Joined: 2002

Abdelaziz Bougja is a Certified Public Accountant with a MBA and a PhD in Law. Originally from Morocco, he now lives and works in Paris as a special advisor to the General Direction for the group Veolia Environnement. A former captain of Morocco, he played rugby in Morocco and France, representing his country 64 times between 1971 and 1983. Abdelaziz was President of the FRMR, the Moroccan Rugby Union (1997-2002) before being elected President of the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR) in May 2002.

Argentina, Porfirio Carreras

Year Joined: 2008

Porfirio Carreras is 61 years old and married with two children. He is an attorney and works in his own law firm, specializing in Commercial and Administrative law. He was a First Division player for 12 years in the Alumni de Buenos Aires Club. He was also a First Division Head Coach in the Alumni Club and their President from 1995 to 2003. He has been a National Players Selector in the Nacional Selection and from 1989 to 1993 he was a UAR Council Member. In 2006 and 2007 he was Unión de Rugby de Buenos Aires Vice President and has been the UAR President since February 2008.

Asia (ARFU), Noboru Mashimo

Year Joined: 2007

Noboru Mashimo enjoyed a successful playing career as fly-half for Takasaki High School and Tokyo University of Education. His passion for Rugby continued long after his graduation as he turned his attention to refereeing, before being appointed Chairman of JRFU Referee Committee and then Chairman of ARFU Referee Society.

Formerly Executive Manager of the Kubota Corporation, he is Managing Director of a consultant company in Japan. Noburo, currently member of the Advisory Committee of the Japanese Olympic Committee, joined the JRFU Board in 1992 and the ARFU Board in 2002 before being elected Chairman of the JRFU in 2002 and Vice-President/Chairman of JRFU in 2005. Noboru was elected Chairman of the ARFU in July 2007.

Australia, Peter McGrath

Year Joined: 2009

Peter McGrath played top level Rugby and rugby league before continuing his long association with sport as an administrator at club, state, national and international level. His career on and off the field over the past 40 years has included 10 years as a director of ACT Rugby, with six as Chairman. Peter joined the Board of Australian Rugby Union in 2005 and was elected President in April 2007. He subsequently served on the International Rugby Board Council and was Chairman of the SANZAR (South African New Zealand Australian Rugby) joint venture. Peter is a lawyer and specializes in general corporate and commercial law and planning and sports law.

Australia, John O'Neill

Year Joined: 2007

John O’Neill returned to the Australian Rugby Union in June 2007 to take up the joint position of Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer. Originally he spent eight years as CEO and presided over Australia’s second Rugby World Cup triumph in Wales in 1999 and the union’s successful staging of Rugby World Cup 2003. Following the tournament O’Neill was appointed to lead Football Federation Australia and established a burgeoning A league and took the national team to the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

Canada, Chris Le Fevre

Year Joined: 2002

Chris Le Fevre is a Chartered Surveyor and Property Developer in Victoria, British Columbia. Before emigrating to Canada in 1970 he played Prop for Leicestershire and the Saracens R.F. C.. In Canada, he played for British Columbia from 1972 to 1977 and for Canada in 1976. He is a former Rugby Canada Board Member and was the Commissioner of the Rugby Canada Super League during its inaugural season.

England, Martyn Thomas

Year Joined: 2007

Martyn Thomas was educated at Mill Hill School and played rugby and other sports for the Old Millhillians. On completion of his secondary education he trained as a solicitor, being articled in the City of London and attending the College of Law. After private practice he moved to the commercial sector, managing firstly a financial investment group and thereafter a European meat export group. He was elected to the RFU Council in July 2001, representing Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire and Derbyshire and in April 2005 was elected Chairman of the RFU Management Board.

England, Jonathan Dance

Year Joined: 2005

Jonathan Dance is a solicitor and former director and group secretary of Calor Group plc. He played junior rugby for Bracknell in Berkshire until being forced to retire through injury. Dance has been actively involved in rugby administration at all levels since 1972, joining The Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 1995, where he has served as Chairman of Competitions, Chairman of Finance and on the Management Board.

Europe (FIRA-AER), Raul Martins

Year Joined: 2005

Raul Martins has a long and distinguished association with rugby. He represented Portugal 21 times, 18 of those as captain. He then went on to coach the national team's under 18 age group. He was Chairman of the Portuguese Rugby Board from 1987 to 1999 and has been on the FIRA-AER Executive Board since 1999. Away from rugby, Martins is a shareholder and Managing Director of a Portuguese Group of Companies in the Construction, Real Estate and Hotel Sectors.

France, Pierre Camou

Year joined: 2008
Pierre Camou is a retired senior bank executive and is the current president of the FFR. He played rugby with US Garazy winning the Championship of the Côte Basque Landes Region with the club. He later moved into administration with US Garazy and then became the President of the Côte Basque-Landes Regional Committee and Vice-President of the FFR. He is now the FFR Representative on the 6 Nations Committee and Treasurer of FIRA-AER.

France, Jacques Laurans

Year Joined: 1997

Jacques Laurans is a school teacher from Agen and has been Secretary General of the Federation Francaise de Rugby (FFR) since 1993. He played in Agen between 1955 and 1968 and later coached before moving into administration with the Committees of Lot et Garonne (1984-88) and Perigord Agenais (1989-1992 and again since 1996). He has been on the FFR Executive Committee since 1991 and is the Chairman of the 6 Nations Committee.

Ireland, Pat Whelan

Year joined: 2008

Pat Whelan was born and lives in Limerick, Ireland.  He has 35 years experience in the Construction sector, specialising in the area of Contracting, Property Development and Project Management. He played with Garryowen FC, captaining the club in 1978.
As a hooker, he played for Munster over a ten year period and was capped by Ireland 19 times between 1975 and 1981. He is also Chairman of Thomond Park Development Company. A former member of the Munster Branch, he has been a member of the IRFU Committee since 2002.

Ireland, Peter Boyle

Year Joined: 2004

Peter Boyle is a third generation solicitor in a long established family practice in Dublin, who played his rugby in Dublin University (Trinity) and Wanderers FC and did spells with Milwaukee RFC and Sydney University to broaden his horizons. Injury led to an administrative career, wherein he has been President of his Province, Leinster, in 1983-4 and recently retired as its Treasurer after 14 seasons. Has been Provincial Representative on the IRFU for many years and is currently President.

Italy, Giancarlo Dondi

Year Joined: 1996

Giancarlo Dondi is a business man from Parma. He has been President of the Italian Rugby Federation (FIR) since 1996 and a Vice-President of FIRA since 1986. He won eight caps for Italy between 1958 and 1964 before refereeing for eight years. He was Vice-President of the FIR 1980-84 and again 1988-96.

Japan, Ichiro Kono

Year Joined: 2006

Dr. Ichiro Kono, MD, PhD, (2006) is a Professor of Sports Medicine. He was elected to the JRFU Board in 1996. He is involved in various activities of sports promotion including anti-doping both at home and abroad and is also an executive board member of the Japanese Olympic committee and a vice chairman of the sports committee. He has participated in more than five Olympic Games as part of the official delegation of Japan. He played as a fly half for his university.

New Zealand, Graham Mourie

Year Joined: 2007

Graham Mourie has had a long and distinguished rugby career. He played 61 games for the All Blacks, captaining the team from 1976-1982. He coached Wellington in 1998-1999 and was Hurricanes coach from 2000-2002. He has been a Director on the New Zealand Rugby Union Board since 2002. He has farming interests in both the Taranaki and Wellington regions and is a long-time member of the Coastal Rugby Club. He lives in Porirua, north of Wellington.

New Zealand, Steve Tew

Year Joined: 2007

Steve Tew is the NZRU Chief Executive and has been part of the team which delivered New Zealand's successful Bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011 along with a range of other achievements. Prior to joining the NZRU, Tew was CEO of one of New Zealand's most successful sporting organisations, the Canterbury Rugby Union and Crusaders Franchise (1996 - 2001). Tew has a strong rugby background having played club and university rugby and has a Masters degree in Sports Management from Victoria University.

NACRA, Pearse Higgins

Year Joined: 2007

Pearse Higgins, Vice-President of NACRA (North America and Caribbean Rugby Association), played in Ireland for Galwegians RFC before emigrating to Canada in 1973. He was first elected to the Rugby Canada Board in 2003 and has represented Rugby Canada on the NACRA (formerly NAWIRA) executive since 2004. In 1989 he was appointed to the National Referee Panel and represented Canada at the international level from 1992 to 1995 including the following test-matches: USA-England (W) in 1992, RWCQ Argentina-Uruguay in 1993 and Japan-Fiji (2 tests) in 1994. Pearse is a Sports Tours Specialist in Toronto and resides in Aurora, Ontario.

Oceania (FORU), Harry Schuster

Year Joined: 2004

Harry Jeffrey Schuster is a law graduate of Victoria University, Wellington New Zealand. Currently a partner in the Law Office of Fepuleai and Schuster in Apia Samoa, he was elected as Honorary Secretary of the Samoa Rugby Football Union in December 1999 and President of the Federation of Oceania Rugby Unions in February 2004. Schuster played in the Samoa Secondary Schools Union representative Team, played for and captained the New Zealand Universities Team and played Number 8 for Manu Samoa from 1989 to 1993.

Scotland, Bill Nolan

Year Joined: 2002

A public relations, media and marketing consultant, Bill Nolan was introduced to Rugby while at Edinburgh University and played as a prop forward with Ardrossan Academicals and Irvine RFC. Elected to the Glasgow & District Rugby Union in 1989, he served as its Communications and Marketing Convener, before being Chairman of Glasgow Rugby between 2002 and 2007. In 1999, he was elected to the Scottish Rugby Union as a District Representative and continues to serve as a member of the Scottish Rugby Council. In 1996, he toured New Zealand with Scotland as Media Relations Manager.

Scotland, Gordon McKie

Year Joined: 2006

Prior to joining the SRU, Gordon McKie was chief executive of Semple plc (formerly Semple Cochrane plc). Although a regular supporter of the Scottish national team at Murrayfield, McKie had no previous involvement in sports administration and came to Scottish Rugby with an open mind and a broad perspective on growing the community game and changing the governance of the sport in Scotland. A graduate of Heriot-Watt University and a CA, McKie has held various management and directorial positions, and lives in Edinburgh with his wife and three children..

South Africa: Oregan Hoskins

Year Joined: 2006

Oregan Hoskins was educated at Haythorne High School, Pietermaritzburg where he played rugby. His rugby career continued at the Young Lions Senior Club, the Pietermaritzburg Collegions and the Natal Ceder Team. In 1995 he was elected to Natal Rugby Union Council and became Vice-President in 1999. In 2000 he became Chairman of the Sharks and President of the Kwazulu Natal Rugby Union in 2002. In 2006 he was elected President of the South Africa Rugby Union. A qualified attorney, he is married with two children.

South Africa, Johan Prinsloo

Year Joined: 2008

Johan Prinsloo is a veteran in the entertainment business. For 17 years he was in the movie industry, with Ster Kinekor - while also involved in rugby refereeing and coaching at Wits University. His particular involvement was with the Under-20 sides, working closely with Jake White. Prinsloo was also Chairman of Technikon Witwatersrand Rugby Club, while working within the structures of the then-Transvaal U20. As a fulltime employee, he joined rugby in 1991, working for Dr Louis Luyt.

During that period, he was involved in all aspects of rugby, the highlights being the beginning of the Super 10 and the 1995 Rugby World Cup Committee. He was appointed CEO of SA Rugby in 2004.

South America (CONSUR), Ricardo Paganini

Year Joined: 2008

Ricardo Paganini is an Orthopaedic surgeon from Rosario, Argentina. He played for Rosario Jockey Club from the age of 12 and also played provincial Rugby. He coached the Rosario Jockey Club’s First Division team for nine seasons, winning the Rosario Championship on six occasions. In 1995, he coached Argentina at the Rugby World Cup in South Africa. Ricardo also coached the Argentina Sevens team from 1997 to 2005, the last four years as head coach. He is currently Vice President of the Unión Argentina de Rugby (UAR) and President of CONSUR (Confederación Sudamericana de Rugby).

Wales, David Pickering

Year Joined: 2000

David Pickering played club rugby for Llanelli and Neath. He played International rugby at schools, university and senior level gaining 23 Caps, eight as captain, between 1983 and 1987. He then went on to coach Neath for five years before managing Wales A team and subsequently Wales. As National team manager, Wales recorded notable success, becoming the first Welsh team to beat South Africa, the first British team to win a Test series in Argentina and Wales' most successful winning run (11 games) since 1912. David is now a Director of several Welsh companies as well as serving on the board of the Millenium Stadium. He was elected to be a National representative of the Welsh Rugby Union in 1998.

Wales, Gerald Davies

Year Joined: 2006

Born in Llansaint, Gerald Davies won 46 caps for Wales and participated in two British and Irish Lions Tours in South Africa (1968) and New Zealand (1971). Gerald started rugby at school in Llanelli and played senior rugby with Cardiff and London Welsh. He graduated in English literature at Emmanuel College, Cambridge during which time he played in three Varsity Matches. Davies was a teacher in England, worked for the Sports Council in Wales and was on the Board of Directors of HTV. In 2005 he joined the WRU Board, in 2006 was appointed as the WRU representative on the IRB Council and attended his first IRB Council Meeting in November 2006.