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New Zealand Rugby's dream of getting Agustin Pichot into the top job at World Rugby could be about to come true, according to a new report from the UK.

In what would be a stunning late twist in the race for the chairman's seat, the Daily Mail says that both Ireland and Wales are thinking about ditching Bill Beaumont and throwing their votes behind Pichot.

PAUL GILHAM/GETTY IMAGES Bill Beaumont, right, with former British PM David Cameron. Beaumont's re-election campaign has reportedly run into trouble.

​"Sportsmail reported earlier this week that there was a chance that one of the Six Nations unions would vote for Pichot and now it is understood that both the Irish and Welsh are considering the option of aligning with counterparts in the Southern Hemisphere by supporting the Argentine," said the report by rugby journalist Chris Foy.

Beaumont is running with Frenchman Bernard Laporte in what is understood to be a tight race against Pichot, who is being backed by the Sanzaar nations.

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Ireland and Wales both have three votes to cast in next week's election, and if either or both fall in behind Pichot then his chances of being elected improve dramatically.

The paper added that Beamont, 68, was leaning on former team-mates from his British and Irish Lions days to "keep Wales and Ireland on track" and vote for him.

However, his campaign has been mired in controversy after it emerged that his nomination had been seconded by a convicted killer, Francis Kean of Fiji, who in turn had been seconded by Laporte for a role on World Rugby's Executive Committee.

Kean was then forced to stand down from the Fiji Rugby Union after fresh claims of homophobia were reported and he was criticised by human rights group Amnesty International.

ATSUSHI TOMURA/GETTY IMAGES Agustin Pichot has fought an energetic campaign and has avoided any controversy.

"One thing I do want to make clear is that this just isn't about past crimes because people do have the right if they've done the time to move on from that," Kate Schuetze, Pacific researcher for Amnesty International, told Stuff this week.

"But this is not a case where he's [Kean] done the time that he was sentenced for.

"... there are serious questions around whether world rugby groups would want to be associated with someone like that and what that says about the sport and the morals they want to uphold.

"His reputation as a commissioner for prisons was that he was a staunch advocate of corporal punishment."

BRYN LENNON/GETTY IMAGES The Irish are reportedly wary of French powerbroker Bernard Laporte, right.

The Daily Mail reported the Kean controversy has damaged Beaumont's campaign, while the Irish are still seething after Laporte played a key role in securing the 2023 Rugby World Cup for France, against World Rugby's own recommendation,

The Welsh are reportedly impressed by Pichot's energy and vision for the game, and are also weighing up a vote that would splinter the Six Nations bloc.

However, it would still be a surprise if either nation carried through with voting for Pichot, giving his desire to "democratise" the game could be seen as diminishing the power of the European unions.

The vote will be held next week in a secret ballot and the results will be released on May 12.