THE future of the entire 18-man Welsh Rugby Union board will be in jeopardy when the required ten clubs, as expected, call an EGM within the next few days.

It was thought that the heads of WRU chief executive Steve Lewis and chairman David Pickering would be on the block if the clubs requested an EGM over their handling of the Mike Ruddock affair, the non-appointment of a group chief executive and the ticketing issue.

But it appears there are even wider issues, like the governance of the game at slightly lower levels, and the whole board could be held responsible for that rather than Lewis in particular.

There seems no doubt the necessary 10 clubs out of a membership of 245 will send in a letter by the start of next week demanding the EGM which would have to take place within three weeks of that date.

Though there was no decision on an EGM by the 44 clubs in Gwent who form District A, individual clubs feel strongly.

"Most of the clubs in Wales are not happy with the governance of the game," said Newbridge chairman Idris McCarthy.

"We have got a board and things happen which have no credibility. For example, they are altering Division One into an east and west split, but according to the rules they can't do that.

"We can't run a business on 11 home league games, we need 16 teams. Lots of teams haven't got clubs on the ground, they've got pubs in villages so it doesn't matter to them, it's a different game.

"So the WRU shouldn't split the league up, and they even did it without consultation. We found only three clubs who didn't want to be in the league as it is so they couldn't have asked many people, but they put it in front of the board and they passed it. They don't have any idea.

"On the Mike Ruddock issue they (Lewis and Pickering) have told us their version without us hearing what Mike has got to say. He's a very good coach and a nice person, they say his departure wasn't down to player power, but I can't see that.

"He may have put a warning shot across their bows, but we need to know why they didn't let him work out his notice.

"And they have got to appoint a group chief executive because it says so in the constitution. Why they are taking their time over this I don't know.

"As for the tickets issue, we've got sponsors and they pay us face value for them. I don't know how they can control this. And they have made Paul Sergeant a director totally against the constitution when he is chief executive of the Millennium Stadium.

"I think an egm will be called, certainly by the beginning of next week. There'll be comfortably more than 10 clubs.

"They'll have to pass a vote of no confidence in the whole board for just bringing in what they want. They're a pretty pathetic bunch."

If the Newbridge chairman and clubs with a similar view pass a vote of no confidence in the WRU board at an EGM, Steve Lewis would survive as a paid employee of the Union and a new board would have to be elected.

Clubs may well take steps to ensure that existing members are not allowed to stand again.