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Gareth Davies has been elected chairman of the Welsh Rugby Union in succession to David Pickering.

The Dragons chief executive was confirmed in the key post following a vote of the WRU board members and takes up the role with immediate effect.

He beat off a challenge from WRU finance committee chairman Martin Davies in a straight shoot-out for the position.

The former Wales outside-half takes over from Pickering, who has spent the past 11 years in the role.

He will be terminating his contract with the Dragons after a suitable notice period to avoid any conflict of interest.

Pickering bowed out at Sunday’s AGM in Port Talbot having failed to gain re-election to the board as a national representative.

That created a vacancy as chairman which has now been filled by Davies following a straight first past the post secret ballot.

He was elected to the board as a national representative ahead of Pickering in a vote by member clubs last month, with Llanelli’s Anthony Buchanan securing the other vacant spot.

Following his election, Davies was publicly urged by Cardiff Blues supremo Peter Thomas to stand for the chairmanship and decided to take up the challenge.

The 59-year-old has held senior executive positions with CBI Wales, BBC Wales, Cardiff RFC, S4C, the Sports Council for Wales, the Royal Mail and the Welsh Development Agency during his career.

Davies said: “It is a fantastic honour to be elected chairman of the WRU and I will aim to live up to my old Gwendraeth School motto which is: ‘There is no honour without responsibility.’

“I want to thank the board of directors for their support and confidence in my ability to represent the WRU in this prodigious role.

“I have also been encouraged by the support I have already received from so many grass-roots clubs.

“I also want to personally thank the departing chairman, David Pickering, for the immense contribution he has made across the past eleven years he held this post.

“We must continue to evolve and develop to seize the opportunities and meet the challenges ahead and I am determined to ensure the WRU is a governing body we can be proud of.

“I look forward to working with my colleagues on the board, the executive and staff of the WRU and everyone involved in our sport to ensure we build on the success of recent years.”

WRU chief executive Roger Lewis, said: “I want to offer my congratulations to Gareth on his appointment to the role of chairman of the WRU.

“We all know how important the chairman of the WRU is in Wales, not just for our sport, but for the position rugby holds within the cultural life of our nation.

“I look forward to working closely with Gareth as we seek to sustain and develop our role as the national sport of Wales and a key nation at the top level of the world game.

“Our business is in good shape, our international status is strong and our focus on the community game is paying dividends in strengthening the infrastructure of our sport at the grass-roots level.

“We can’t take our foot of the pedal and there are exciting times ahead for all of us involved in Welsh rugby.

“I also want to personally thank our departing chairman David Pickering for everything he has achieved for our game during his term in the role and wish him well for the future away from the Board.”

In a statement issued on Wednesday morning, Regional Rugby Wales welcomed Davies's appointment.

“In today’s environment of constant, increasingly fast and ever more challenging change, any organisation can only succeed with a clear vision and exceptional leadership," the statement said.

“It is a primary responsibility for any organisation to ensure that its leadership achieves the objectives agreed by its shareholders and stakeholders.

“For both reasons, we commend the board of the WRU for taking into account the views of the community clubs as the shareholders of the Union and appointed Gareth Davies to the role of chairman of the Board of the WRU.

“As well as an illustrious playing career, Gareth has a natural and deep-rooted connection to the game in Wales at all levels.

"His integrity and exceptional values directly linked to those of the game itself are coupled with a considerable depth of experience from senior commercial roles held inside and outside Wales

“It is our absolute belief that Gareth’s passionate commitment to building a strong, vibrant and healthy community game at all levels of the sport through junior rugby, to club and the semi professional game, will ensure that all those involved in the game in Wales will work together to grow participation, development and, ultimately performance.

“We look forward to working with Gareth and the board of WRU to contribute and strengthen the foundations of our game in Wales – building participation, enjoyment and performance at every level of the sport.”

In a further vote by the board, Ken Hewitt was elected to continue as deputy chairman of the WRU.