Derek Beaumont has offered his support of Nigel Wood, saying he is “the best person that’s been involved in rugby league” after backlash he received upon his reinstatement as Chair of Rugby League Commercial and the expansion of Super League to 14 teams.
Wood joined the RFL in 2001 as a Finance Director, before going on to become the RFL’s Operating Officer and Chief Executive. He was sacked in 2018, costing the RFL £300,000 to remove him, but is now back as one of the most senior positions in the game.
Fans were quick to criticise his appointment, after the manner and state he left the game seven years ago, with his exit seeing him take a pay-off of more than £300,000.
However, Leopards owner Derek Beaumont has pleaded to fans to give Wood a chance to show his ability and see what good he can do for the game.
Beaumont led a plea for Nigel Wood to return as chair of the strategic review committee in March, alongside Leeds Rhinos chief Gary Hetherington, and were successful.
The Leopards owner sat down for an interview this week with club media, discussing the findings of the review, and implored fans to back Wood and his experience in the game.
Just 90 seconds into that 90-minute interview, Beaumont said: “Nigel is someone I have the utmost respect for and he’s the most intelligent man I have met in the game.
“He has just got a real smart quick-thinking brain that is widely encompassing. His level of intelligence across multi facets is pretty unique really.”
Derek Beaumont’s staunch defence of Nigel Wood
Continuing in his appraisal of Wood, Beaumont argued that he wouldn’t put such faith into someone to run a sport in which he has invested so heavily.
The Leigh owner said: “I put hundreds of thousands of pounds into this club and far more time and effort and energy into it. Why on earth would I want to go through what I’ve gone through in this last year and fight so hard with other people who have done the same as me, to get a man in charge of our game if he’s the person who the media make him out to be.
“You might say I’m off my head, but I’m not going to get supported by nine other people who’ve all been as successful if not more successful than me, and that were all as deluded”
In what is arguably the strongest line to come out of the interview, Beaumont said: “Nigel is the best person that’s been involved in rugby league in the time I’ve been alive. His knowledge, his experience and having experienced it on the other side of the fence, he’s got everything there and he’s in touch with the club.”
Many fans question the reason to expand to fourteen teams is so that Bradford Bulls can return to Super League, a club that Wood has been heavily involved in and is a shareholder of. Beaumont insisted that was not the case.
“It’s nothing to do with what goes on at Bradford. He lives, eats, sleeps and breathes rugby league, 24/7. The guy is just addicted to it. He understands the value and importance of Super League. Trust him, get behind him. There’s nothing to be gained from beating him up and having negative press about Nigel Wood. He’s been chosen, he’s making change, he’s been to the clubs and he’s going to do the right thing and the best for the game and if we’ve all got it wrong, then on our heads be it.”
