THE reshaping of Rugby League’s governance has taken another significant step forward with the appointment of three external non-executive directors to complete the inaugural Board of RL Commercial, while a leading RFL official has denied that there will be a delay in appointing a new RFL chief executive.
The six-strong Board of RL Commercial, a joint venture between the RFL and Super League, will be led by Frank Slevin, whose appointment as Chair was announced in August.
He will be joined by Simon Johnson, the current Chair of the RFL and, as also confirmed in August, by Ed Mallaburn, IMG Media’s Head of Sport, as part of IMG’s 12-year strategic partnership with Rugby League.
The Board has been completed by the appointment of three further non-executive directors.
Anna Chanduvi, the Sports and Entertainment Media Partnerships lead at Meta, will be joined by Peter Hutton, a sports media specialist who has held senior roles with Eurosport, Fox Sports and, most recently, Meta, having started his career as a Rugby League reporter with Pennine Radio and Sky Sports, and Jonathan Murphy, the CEO of the listed medical property specialists Assura, who is also Chair of the North West Business Leadership Team.
“We were bowled over by the quality of the field we had to choose from,” RFL Chairman Simon Johnson told League Express.
“Three superbly talented leaders have emerged from the pack. They have the skill and expertise and the diversity of thought that will really help Rugby League Commercial to do what it needs to do.”
The RFL is currently seeking a new chief executive to take over from Ralph Rimmer, who will depart at the end of December, and Johnson has denied some reports suggesting that the process has been temporarily halted.
“The process is underway; I don’t know where that report came from,” he said.
“We are at the longlist stage and we are getting a lot of interest continuing.
“We don’t expect to have a new CEO in place by January, but I will make sure there is no vacuum of leadership of the RFL.”
Johnson was also reluctant to confirm reports that England coach Shaun Wane will be given a new, extended contract, as has also been reported elsewhere.
“There have been discussions, but there will be a review of the World Cup and then the RFL directors will make a decision on the future,” said Johnson.