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London - Former England captain Bill Beaumont is set to become the new chairman of World Rugby after the global governing body announced Monday he was the only nominee to succeed Bernard Lapasset.
French administrator Lapasset announced earlier this month he would be standing down in order to concentrate on leading Paris's bid to secure the 2024 Olympic Games.
Monday's statement also said that former Argentina captain Agustin Pichot had been nominated for the post of vice-chairman in succession to South Africa's Oregan Hoskins, who is standing down.
Beaumont, 64, is currently chairman of England's Rugby Football Union (RFU), a job he has held since 2012 having also worked on the organisation of the 2015 World Cup.
A lock forward in his playing days, Beaumont won 34 caps and led England to a first Grand Slam in 23 years in 1980 before captaining the British and Irish Lions in South Africa that same year.
The 41-year-old Pichot, a former scrumhalf, was one of Argentina's stars when they finished third at the 2007 World Cup in France.
He became a driving force in ensuring the Pumas became the fourth nation in an expanded southern hemisphere Rugby Championship along with their fellow semi-finalists at last year's World Cup in England -- New Zealand, Australia and South Africa.
Both Beaumont and Pichot need to achieve a simple majority of votes cast by the World Rugby council at a meeting on May 11, although this now looks a formality given they are the only nominees for the two posts.
The new chairman and vice-chairman will serve for a period of four years commencing on July 1.
