Paul Kaminski of Whitchurch has been elected as a new RFU Council Member for North Midlands.
Kaminski, who is Chairman of the Midlands Division Organising Committee, which is responsible for leagues below National Two, secured his place after a closely-contested ballot and he will replace the long-serving Stuart Potts of Telford Hornets, who is to step down.
A ballot of all North Midlands clubs re-elected Steve Guy as one of the two North Midlands representatives on the RFU Council.
But Kaminski and Judith Phelps, the Shropshire President from Telford Hornets, were tied with 21 votes each. Under RFU regulations, North Midlands convened a Full Committee meeting, held at Dudley Kingwinford at which Kaminski and Phelps made a presentation and then answered questions from the floor.
After a ballot of Full Committee members, Kaminski was elected by 15 votes to 12.
Kaminski played rugby for Whitchurch and then became a referee with the Staffordshire Society for nine years. When injury ended his refereeing career, Kaminski became an administrator, serving Whitchurch in a number of roles including Fixture Secretary for more than 20 years and Chairman for six.
He was secretary then President of Shropshire, President of North Midlands, North Midlands Competitions Chairman and a member of the RFU Competitions Committee.