Change is afoot at the head of the International Rugby Board with the announcement that chief executive Mike Miller is to step down at the end of the month.
Miller has been the face of the IRB and Rugby World Cup Limited for the past 10 years.
IRB chairman Bernard Lapasset, who was recently the winner in a tight contest for the leadership of the game, said in a statement on Friday that after he had been involved in discussions with Miller it was agreed the time was right at the beginning of a new Rugby World Cup cycle for him to step down.
Miller said: "It has been a fantastic 10 years.
"It was an honour and a privilege to have been welcomed into the rugby family and to have worked with so many dedicated and talented rugby people around the world.
"I have been lucky to have had three excellent chairmen in Vernon Pugh, Syd Millar and Bernard Lapasset, and a brilliant staff at the IRB," he said.
Miller said a lot had been achieved in the last decade.
"Rugby is in a great place as it looks forward to Rugby World Cups in England and Japan, World Cup Sevens in Moscow, women's Rugby World Cup in France and the Olympics in Rio [de Janiero' in 2016," he said.
Rugby was set to become a truly global sport with major events in Asia and Eastern Europe for the first time.
Lapasset said the IRB was a much stronger organisation as a result of Miller's work.
"The game is in great shape and the IRB is ready to take on the challenges of continuing to grow rugby around the world and in particular to ensure that the Tier 1 countries are strong and secure, the Tier 2 countries continue to improve and grow, and the emerging major market countries become competitive as soon as possible," he said.
Lapasset said with a revamped IRB executive committee, the soon-to-be refreshed Rugby World Cup board and a 'vibrant' council the tools were in place for rugby to advance.