Confirmation of the news came as the RFU's disciplinary officer published a report into the departure of former CEO John Steele in June after the recruitment process for a performance director was widely criticised. It has been widely reported that Judge Jeff Blackett's conclusion called for Thomas' resignation along with nine non-executives on the management board. However, the management board members survived after a vote of no confidence was reported to have been defeated by a majority verdict.
In a statement released by the RFU, Thomas said: “This was a difficult day for the Union but at the end of the day this does now mean we can finally move on. The most important thing was that we maintained stability for staff and our other partners and in the coming weeks I will be ensuring that we navigate to calmer waters and that we can get on with our core purpose of rugby.”
Thomas, who has served as RFU chairman since April 2005, will remain chairman of Rugby World Cup 2015, the organising committee for the tournament in England and Wales, and will also stay on as the RFU’s representative at the International Rugby Board.
The RFU Council discussed the 52-page report's findings during a four-hour meeting on Sunday and although the full report will not be made public, an executive summary will be put together by the panel in “a timely fashion”.
