THE Rugby Football League have confirmed former Manchester United senior executive Ian Nolan as their new CEO.

Nolan, who has 20 years of experience in the sports industry, will begin in the role on October 1.

The governing body will by then have gone a full year without a permanent chief executive, since Tony Sutton stood down last September.

Abi Ekoku initially held the interim reins, and since April Rhodri Jones has combined the position with being managing director of Rugby League Commercial.

It’s believed Nolan emerged from a field of candidates which included former Manly Sea Eagles chief executive Tony Mestrov, Maccabi Tel Aviv football club CEO Ben Mansford, Football Association of Ireland chief executive Jonathan Hill, and rugby league player agent Graeme Taylor.

As well as more than a decade working for Yahoo, including as general manager of their sports division, and most recently working as chief marketing officer for nutritionists Science in Sport, Nolan was chief content officer at Manchester United, with the RFL believing he can help deliver the sport to bigger audiences through his digital background.

RFL and RL Commercial chair Nigel Wood said: “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Ian to the Rugby Football League.

“Amid a field of top-class candidates, he emerged as the person best placed to take us forward during a pivotal time for the sport.

“Ian’s skillset and vast experience in the global, digital market, including an influential seven years at Manchester United, will complement what we already have within the RFL.

“With his fresh ideas and dynamism, this appointment is the most significant as we continue to turn around the sport’s fortunes and put revenues back onto an upward trajectory after the past few years.

“There is so much to be proud of in our game here with the best-ever Magic Weekend just a few days ago – a brilliant occasion attended by more than 80,000 people – a case in point.

“Ian’s appointment is the first step in a bold and ambitious new strategy; he has a wealth of experience in the growth and commercialisation of sports, media and sports rights, plus an impressive track record of leveraging digital, social and modern media platforms to accelerate growth into global markets.”