Nigel Wood has returned to the RFL after being appointed interim chairman of the governing body. The decision comes on the back of four proposed resolutions being accepted by the RFL earlier this week, included the removal of Simon Johnson from the chair position.
Johnson’s decision to step down was communicated on Tuesday amid pressure from a number of club representatives, while Robert Hicks and Sandy Lindsay have also left the organisation this week.
Following that, in line with the resolutions, Leigh Leopards’ Derek Beaumont and Leeds Rhinos Gary Hetherington were tasked with appointing someone to chair a strategic review of the game in the hope of taking rugby league forward and securing its future. That person is Wood, who has also become the interim chair of the RFL.
Wood, who has stepped down from his position as chairman at Bradford Bulls to take the role, formerly worked as CEO of the RFL but was paid a substantial amount of money to leave the organisation in 2018. He will now put together a panel made up of club representatives and members of the RFL board to put the game under the microscope over the coming months.
Those findings will be presented in July, with the aim being to help make the improvements the game needs off the field. What the future holds of Wood beyond that presentation is unknown, but his presence within the governing body once more has certainly got people talking.
Here’s how a number of Serious About RL readers reacted to Wednesday’s news on social media.
Charles Newton: If they have tasked Nigel Wood OBE to do a strategic review of the game, what are IMG doing?
Julian Harrison: This is comical, if it wasn’t so depressing! How many ‘whole game reviews’ does rugby league need?
Linda Jowett: I’m sure he will do his very best in the role.
Stephen Cramm: Bad appointment in Nigel Wood. Going backwards as a sport.
Rob Hutchinson: Did the majority of clubs not vote him in. Sky deals have gone down since he left, let’s just wait and see.
Lee Croston: Say what you like about Derek but when it comes to business he’s not daft. It’s a temporary appointment with no monies being paid. Let’s just see where it goes.
Phil Fitton: Games going backwards
Mike Craig: The best thing what can happen is the NRL come in and run it all. This lot don’t have a clue
Steve Greenley: He didn’t exactly do a good job last time he was here, we are going backwards
Paul Nilen: Without serious money invested in the sport its just shuffling deck chairs on the titanic once again.
Marc Dickinson: And this highlights the problem with rugby league in this country, self serving chairmen with too much power in the sport. How can chairmen decide they want a new leader of the RFL and just the oust the current one out? Absolute shambles.
Nick Crossland: What an incredibly backward step! What was the point of SL, IMG? Why another review. Just bring the NRL in because the first thing they will do is a strategic review!
