Rugby Europe has put its support behind incumbent World Rugby chairman Bill Beaumont as voting for a new term began,
Beaumont is running against current vice-chairman Agustin Pichot for the top job and the vote has been predicted to be a tight one.
There are 51 votes in total to be cast in the process and all votes must be submitted by Thursday April 30.
SANZAAR and Six Nations countries have three votes each, Africa, Rugby Asia, Europe North/Central America, Oceania and Japan each have two.
Romania, Georgia, Uruguay, USA, Canada, Samoa and Fiji each have one vote.
The European organisation that includes 48 member unions across the continent, revealed on Tuesday morning that it had put its two votes behind Beaumont and vice-chairman candidate Bernard Laporte.
“As the vote for the position of World Rugby Chairman opened on Sunday, April 26th, 2020, Rugby Europe has decided to take the position in favour of the project led by the current Chairman, Sir Bill Beaumont,” a Rugby Europe statement read.
“During its last meeting, which was held on April 8 by conference call, the Rugby Europe Board of Directors unanimously validated this position and gave its proxy to the president, Mr. Octavian Morariu.
“The manifesto led by Sir Bill Beaumont and the president of the FFR, Bernard Laporte, corresponds to the priority actions necessary for the development of rugby in Europe.
“Rugby Europe considers that the substantial work initiated over the last few years, in terms of governance reforms, the structure of men’s and women’s competitions and financial support for member unions, should allow our sport to face the current crisis and become better structured for the challenges ahead.”
Europe follows Rugby Asia in publicly declaring its submitted vote and neither decision will have created shockwaves.
it has been widely expected the votes will be largely along hemispherical lines, with the Northern Hemisphere countries behind Beaumont and the south behind Pichot.
Fiji had been tipped to be potentially the tiebreaker in the vote after the FFR supported its nomination of controversial candidate Francis Kean to the executive committee but Kean has since been stood down and withdrawn from the process.
The SANZAAR members are expected to vote as a bloc for Pichot and Rugby Australia seconded his nomination for the top job.
There has been reports that Ireland and Wales have been wavering in their support for Beaumont but those accounts have been disputed.
Votes must be submitted by April 30 but the results won't be revealed until May 12, a process that Pichot has slammed for being too slow and "secretive".
Both Beaumont and Pichot have pitched change to the global rugby landscape in interviews leading up to the elections.
Should Pichot win, a Nations Championship concept is expected to be a key goal for the Argentinian while Beaumont has floated changes to Test eligibility laws in his manifesto.
VOTING
Declared
Beaumont - 2
Rugby Europe
Pichot - 2
Rugby Asia
Undeclated
Three Votes
SANZAAR - Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, (12 total)
Six Nations - England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, Italy, France (18 total)
Two Votes
Africa, North/Central America, South America, Oceania, Japan (10 votes total)
One Vote
Romania, Georgia, Uruguay, USA, Canada, Samoa, Fiji (7 votes total)
