Melville is accused of making false promises that induced Doug Schoninger into investing in the league

Nigel Melville, the next interim chief executive of the RFU, is being sued in the United States by a businessman who claims that he was “conned” into investing $6 million (£4.7 million) to launch the first professional club rugby competition in North America. Melville, a former chief executive of USA Rugby, will take charge of the RFU from next month after Steve Brown announced on Friday that he was resigning.

The lawsuit, filed in Boulder county, Colorado, relates to the collapse of the five-team PRO Rugby after only one season in 2016. Melville is one of nine respondents including USA Rugby (USAR) and World Rugby.

Melville is accused of making false promises that induced Doug Schoninger into investing in the league and hiding from him