The RFL has confirmed the make up of its new interim board following last week’s upheaval in personnel. A raft of senior officials have resigned from the governing body with chairman Simon Johnson’s decision to step away from the organisation being the most notable.
That decision was confirmed last week, with Sandy Lindsay resigning too before Dr Cherrie Daley and Julia Newton released a joint statement to confirm they would be giving up positions on the board. The latter two departures came following the decision to bring Nigel Wood back to the RFL, seven years after he initially left the organisation.
Wood has been asked to lead a strategic review of the sport by Gary Hetherington and Derek Beaumont and in doing so he will become interim chair of the RFL. Wood will present the findings of his review in July and what the future holds for him beyond that date remains to be seen.
For now, though, he has seen his spot on the RFL board as an executive member confirmed. He will be joined by the RFL’s chief executive Tony Sutton and the RFL’s director of finance, facilities and central services, Rob Graham, who will also be executive members.
In addition to the above trio, five non-executive members have been appointed. James Child is arguably the most recognisable with the former referee now serving on the RFL’s inclusion board. Joanna Coates, former NGB CEPO and commercial director, Martin Coyd OBE, chair of wheelchair rugby league, Ian Roberts, major account director for Bartletts and a member of the RFL’s Audit and Risk Committee and Brain Health Committee, and Emma Rosewarne MBE, formerly the RFL’s first head of welfare, are also on the board.
On top of that there have been three board observers named with ex-Leeds Rhinos player Jamie Jones-Buchanan, Jo Drapier and Ed Mallaburn, senior vice president at IMG, taking on the roles.
The board will meet for the first time on April 1 with Wood expected to be officially appointed interim chair in the coming days. It has also been confirmed that Coates and Sutton will be the RFL directors on the board of RL Commercial.
