'Bitter and betrayed' - Jeffrey ends World Rugby bid after SRU snub

Scotland fable John Jeffrey said he feels "hurt, bitter and betrayed" arsenic nan erstwhile flanker ended his bid to go president of World Rugby aft failing to unafraid nan support of his ain union.

Jeffrey is nan vice-chairman of nan game's governing assemblage and was considered nan favourite to win Sir Bill Beaumont arsenic caput of World Rugby successful November.

But nan 65-year-old, 1 of nan stars of Scotland's 1990 Grand Slam-winning team, was informed connected Friday that Scottish Rugby would not beryllium backing his candidacy.

Jeffrey was president of nan Scottish Rugby Limited Board from 2020-23 and was told various aspects of his capacity successful that domiciled were nan reasons he could not beryllium supported successful his bid to beryllium chair of World Rugby.

"I'm very bitter. I'm very upset - very, very upset. To beryllium beaten by your ain state really, really hurts," he told BBC Sport Scotland.

"It doesn't bespeak good connected america arsenic a country. People are now laughing astatine america - 'you said you were opinionated and now you’re not'.

"I don't cognize if they are laughing astatine maine aliases if they're laughing astatine Scottish Rugby, but they're surely laughing. It does not bespeak good connected nan [SRU] board.

"There's a batch of politics. I cognize I was favourite to win. There was guidance successful position of Italy, France and Australia candidates and had I been beaten by immoderate of them of them I would person shaken their hands and said 'well done'.

"What really sticks successful my pharynx is that I sewage beaten by my ain country. My ain state astatine nan 11th hr person withdrawn their nomination, which beggars belief. Betrayed is not excessively beardown a word. "I’m out, I’m backmost to farming again."

Capped 40 times by Scotland and a British and Irish Lions tourer successful 1989, he has held elder positions wrong Scottish Rugby and World Rugby since 2010.

Jeffrey is besides resigning arsenic president of nan Six Nations and is retiring from each rugby national management successful bid to return to life arsenic a husbandman successful Kelso.

His withdrawal intends nan title for arguably nan astir powerful domiciled successful nan crippled is down to erstwhile France backmost statement Abdelatif Benazzi, ex-Australia flanker Brett Robinson and professor Andrea Rinaldo, nan erstwhile Italy lock.

Beaumont, nan erstwhile England captain, is stepping down aft 2 position and World Rugby's assembly will ballot for his successor later this year.

More to follow.