MICK HOGAN is to step down as chairman of Newcastle Thunder as he focuses on his role as revenue director for the Rugby League World Cup as well as his consultancy commitments.
He has had a seven-and-a-half-year spell at the North-East club, who are preparing for a second season in the Championship after their elevation from League 1 through a bidding process.
Former Wigan chief executive Hogan will also leave rugby union club Newcastle Falcons, where he has served as both managing director and executive director.
Part of the original Gateshead Thunder club that was set up in 1999, he returned to become chair ahead of the 2014 season and has helped the club reach a number of milestones.
Part of the group that engineered the move from Gateshead International Stadium to Kingston Park and the subsequent rebrand to Newcastle Thunder, Hogan was also prominent in setting the mission to win Super League by 2030.
During his tenure there has been a significant rise in attendances and the formation of new commercial agreements, including the addition of Tyne Met College and Stelrad Radiator Group to the club’s portfolio of partners.
Thunder have also been at the forefront of the general growth of Rugby League in the North-East, with a rising number of players in the community game and the expansion of the award-winning Thunder Community Foundation.
