Lyndon Faulkner named new WRU chairman ahead of November handover

Lyndon Faulkner will be the next chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union.

He will take office at the union's annual general meeting on 22 November. He succeeds Richard Collier-Keywood, who has vacated the role, according to BBC Sport. The annual general meeting is the yearly gathering where member clubs vote on major issues.

Faulkner knows Welsh club rugby from the inside. He attended Bassaleg Comprehensive School in Newport, came through Newport Youth and went on to play senior rugby for Newport and Pontypool.

After playing he built a career in business in the United States. He is now based in Los Angeles and has held senior roles with Technicolor/Nimbus CD International, Microsoft, Pelican Products and Peli Biothermal. He joined technology firm CyanConnode as a non-executive director in 2024.

A non-executive director sits on a company board to advise and challenge, rather than run daily operations. Faulkner's name emerged as a contender for the WRU chair in late September, reported by WalesOnline.

The WRU said Faulkner will also serve as a global ambassador for the Welsh game. The chair leads the board, which sets strategy for everything from the national teams to community clubs, so the ambassador tag gives him a visible role beyond the boardroom.

He steps in at a difficult moment. The professional tier means the full-time teams that develop players for the national side. The WRU is planning to reduce its professional men's tier from four teams to three. It has confirmed that Cardiff and Dragons will continue beyond the end of the 2027-28 season, which leaves uncertainty around the shape of the rest.

For supporters, this is personal. Wales currently fields four professional sides, Cardiff, Dragons, Ospreys and Scarlets, in the United Rugby Championship, the cross-border league that also includes teams from Ireland, Scotland, Italy and South Africa. Fewer teams would mean fewer derbies, fewer contracts and a new pathway for young players coming through.

What makes this appointment stand out is the blend. Faulkner offers local playing roots and business experience in America. Welsh rugby needs calm leadership and money to make its plans work. It will look to its new chairman for both.