Rugby: The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) suffered an operating deficit for the year 2002-2003 of €3,558,409, a figure announced at last night's a.g.m. at the Berkeley Court Hotel. John O'Sullivan reports.

The figure could have been even more debilitating financially as the final figure is some €1.1 million less than originally projected, due principally to the success of the Ireland senior side, Leinster and Munster and the performance-related monies they earned.

Annual income was a shade under €38 million while the expenditure was just over €41,500,000, with €32 million generated from match income and €25 million required in game costs.

The stadium issue once again raised its head with chief executive Philip Browne explaining that the IRFU, in conjunction with the Football Association of Ireland, had prepared a report on the suitability of five venues - Lansdowne Road, Newlands, Abbotstown, the Irish Glass Bottle company and an unnamed site at Dublin Airport.

The report was handed to the Government in April and the IRFU is still awaiting word on what option the Government would like to see pursued.

The union yesterday endorsed the candidature of John Quilligan as the new president of the IRFU, to take over from Don Crowley.

The 46-year-old Quilligan, from the Garryowen club, becomes one of the youngest to hold that office in modern times and follows in the footsteps of his late father Kevin, who was president of the union in the 1978-'79 season . John Quilligan's presidency marks the fourth occasion that a son has followed his father into the highest office of the union.

Indeed the new president is the third generation of his family to be involved at club, provincial and national level. His grandfather, Jack Quilligan, was a national selector in the 1930s.

The roles of senior vice-president and junior vice-president will be filled by Barry Keogh (Leinster) and Andy Crawford (Ulster) respectively.

The IRFU also yesterday confirmed a new model of governance for the union and the game in Ireland. The union said it represented a commitment to streamlining what had become an outdated, unwieldy structure in presiding over the sport.

It is a significant undertaking in the development of the union.

The key elements of the new governance model are the introduction of a management committee under the chairmanship of the former president of the Leinster Branch, John Hussey, and four standing committees to take responsibility under the following structures: finance, the professional/representative game, the domestic game and commercial/marketing.

The management committee has been charged with co-ordinating and executing the implementation of IRFU policy, a role that had previously been carried out by the IRFU officer group on an informal basis.

The new committee's terms of reference will be to oversee the implementation of IRFU policy, report to the IRFU Committee and to establish sub-committees where required and approved.

Browne and the rest of the professional staff will underpin the new governance structure.

The new model required changes to the laws of the IRFU and was adopted following a review of previous structures both within the union, other rugby unions and sporting bodies and in conjunction with external consultants, including Genesis, Deloitte & Touche and ASMT Limited.

Hussey has been appointed for a three-year period, a tenure that will also apply to the chairman of the four key standing committees, albeit on a staggered basis to ensure continuity.

IRB representatives: S Millar, N Murphy.

Branch representatives to IRFU: B Glynn, G Smyth, P Fitzgerald, F Crowley, C Fitzgerald, C Quaid, N Jackson, C Watson.

Elected representativess to IRFU Committee: P Boyle, B McConkey, J Callaghan, D Glass, C Bowell, D Hearly, S McLoughlin.