The chairman of Harlequins, Charles Jillings, resigned on Friday in the wake of the blood-cheating scandal that rocked rugby.

Harlequins have been in turmoil since Tom Williams faked a blood injury to allow a substitution to be made in last April's European Cup quarter-final against Leinster.

Quins were hit with a STG260,000 ($A504,000) fine, while director of rugby Dean Richards was forced to resign after being banned from rugby for three years. Williams was also given a four-month ban.

Now Jillings has also left the club. Speaking in a statement, he said: "As chairman I am ultimately responsible for all decisions.

"I apologise unreservedly to all our stakeholders for inadvertently compounding the issues. The escalation of these issues in the public domain needs, I believe, a clear response.

"In this context I have decided to resign as chairman and director. Ultimately this happened under my watch, and the failure to control must fall at my door."

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