Scottish Rugby boss sacked after a probe into his conduct

Published: 17:19, 30 July 2026 | Updated: 17:22, 30 July 2026 The chief executive of Scottish Rugby has been sacked after what is understood to be an inappropriate and undisclosed relationship with a more junior employee came to light. Alex Williamson lost the confidence of the board following an investigation into the matter. Yesterday, chairman John McGuigan confirmed Williamson had been dismissed from his position with immediate effect following an independent probe. The 52-year-old had been brought into the organisation in January 2025 and put on ‘extended leave’ earlier this year amid the investigation, although the reason for his suspension was not disclosed. In the past, he was CEO at House of Fraser when it went into administration in 2018 and also the chief executive of Inspiring Learning, a company which provided training and development for children and adults. It too fell into administration shortly after he began his role with Scottish Rugby. A qualified accountant, Williamson had been tasked with reducing costs at the organisation after previous losses spiralled to almost £10million, but his time at Scottish Rugby was not without controversy. Last year he invoked the wrath of a number of the Scotland women’s team, following issues over contracts. Alex Williamson, former chief executive of Scottish Rugby, was sacked following an investigation He refused to apologise after several players were left in the dark as to whether their deals would be renewed following the World Cup last year. A number of players had expressed concerns over their ability to play for Scotland on an ad-hoc basis, with job security and financial worries an issue. Captain Rachael Malcolm said players had been put in an ‘unfair’ position ahead of the tournament, with off-field issues threatening to disrupt their preparations. Not knowing whether they would have a deal post-tournament, she insisted at the time, had been ‘very disruptive’. In May, Scottish Rugby confirmed Williamson had been put on a ‘period of extended leave’ just 16 months after he took on the chief executive role. At the time, the organisation said his duties would be shared by the executive team but gave no further information as to why he had been sidelined. Yesterday, Mr McGuigan said: ‘The board of Scottish Rugby has today dismissed Alex Williamson from his position as chief executive with immediate effect. ‘His dismissal follows the conclusion of an independent investigation into matters that were brought to the board’s attention earlier this year. ‘In light of the investigation findings, the board of Scottish Rugby concluded that the CEO’s conduct had fallen significantly below the standards we set as an organisation.’ It’s understood that David White, currently Chief Financial Officer at Scottish Rugby, will step in as the chief executive on an interim basis until his replacement is found. A process will now begin to find a permanent successor for the role.