BY MARTYN SADLER
THE RFL has hit the financial buffers and, together with RL Commercial, it will soon make some of its staff redundant.
Estimates are that ten or more employees will leave the two organisations.
At the moment it isn’t clear which staff will be released, but in a previous column I’ve mentioned that £750,000 is being spent on IMG and the various non-executive directors.
To let full-time staff depart in order to keep paying consultants and NEDs seems to be a very questionable policy to me.
On the other hand, RL Commercial is now advertising for a director of marketing and communications, and the agency handling this appointment has apparently already received more than 100 expressions of interest from a variety of people.
But if you are going to take on that role, you need a significant marketing budget, which RL Commercial doesn’t seem to have.
If you have no money it’s difficult to market effectively.
Of course you can raise money by borrowing it, secured against future income, but Rugby League’s future income looks anything but assured.
On the other hand, there are a significant number of wealthy Super League club owners, so perhaps the new appointee’s first role will be to persuade them to put their hands in their pockets to create a realistic marketing budget.
After all, the clubs would presumably be the main beneficiaries of an improved central marketing campaign.
Having looked at the job specification for the new role, it includes phrases like ‘vision’, ‘strategy’, ‘stakeholder management’, ‘leadership’, ‘driving increased commercial activity’ and ‘team development’.
It also asks for ‘a proven ability to inspire, and both show and command respect and demonstrate self-awareness. Whilst displaying resilience, you will also demonstrate calm and considered values-based leadership in all circumstances. As an integral part of the RL Commercial team, you will consistently look at ways to enhance the organisations profile, reputation and engagement in the communities it serves.’
Strangely enough, the one thing it doesn’t mention is any prior knowledge of Rugby League and the market in which it operates.
In the past I don’t know how many people have been appointed to leading posts like this in the RFL who have had absolutely no knowledge of our great sport and its history.
If you mentioned Neil Fox, for example, to some of the people who have occupied leading positions in the game, they would probably think of a former radio disc jockey, rather than the greatest points scorer in the history of the game.
In my view it’s hard to market something you have no knowledge of.
I hope that whoever is going to make this appointment bears this in mind.
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