The governance of Rugby League is currently being transformed. This involves the formation of a unique new joint venture company, RL Commercial, and the assignment of all commercial rights in the Sport to that Company. This includes the rights previously held by the RFL (including the Challenge Cup, Championship and League 1, Women’s Super League and the England Teams) and the rights previously held by Super League Europe opening an exciting opportunity for an exceptional leader to drive the organisation forward from its inception.
The objectives of the realignment include:
- Maximising the value of and revenues from the Sport by aggregating all commercial, events and media rights enabling rights across the Sport to be offered to potential commercial partners.
- Maximising returns to the RFL and SLE and, in turn, Clubs.
- Creating efficiencies.
- For RL Commercial and the RFL (the governing body of the sport) to have distinct but mutually aligned goals and to each benefit from the success of the other.
The overriding principle of the financial aspects of the realignment is that of ‘shared destiny’. All Members will celebrate and participate in the successes of RL Commercial, with all benefiting from growth in RL Commercial irrespective of which asset delivers that growth. This is delivered by all commercial returns of RL Commercial being divided on the basis of pre-agreed percentages.
RL Commercial will be focused on maximising the value of the Sport across all revenue driving areas including:
- broadcast
- sponsorship
- delivery of events
- merchandising
- marketing
- ticketing
- digital and media
The Sport has also recently announced a 12-year strategic partnership with IMG (a global leader in sports, events, media and fashion owned by Endeavor) to reimagine Rugby League and its competitions in the UK. Maximising the value and benefits of the partnership will be a key function of RL Commercial.
This is a unique and exciting opportunity to be the founding Chair of this new entity. The successful candidate will have the ability to shape the organisation from the very start.
The successful candidate will be an accomplished commercial leader with the ability to work in a highly complex and varied stakeholder environment. With a strong partnership-oriented approach and political savvy, they will demonstrate excellent strategic leadership to drive forward this new high performing board. In addition to strong financial and commercial acumen, they will bring a passion for the game and a resounding commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.
Time commitment
A flexible commitment of circa 4 days per month plus match attendance as required and other key meetings and events.
Location
RL Commercial will be based at the Etihad Campus, Manchester in June 2022 (the new home of the Sport). The Etihad will be an accessible venue, but we would be pleased to discuss any specific accessibility needs on a one-to-one basis.
Term
Initial term of three years. Non-executive Directors may serve a maximum of nine years (made up of 2, 3 or 4-year terms).
Remuneration
circa £30,000 plus expenses.
RL Commercial recognises the enhanced creativity, performance and legitimacy of an organisation that embraces and celebrates diversity, and are actively striving to realise these benefits at Board and beyond. We recognise that to fully deliver on our mission and be true to our guiding principles, we must be representative of the communities which we serve. We have committed to achieving gender parity and greater diversity on our Board, and strongly encourage applications from suitability qualified candidates from under-represented sections of the community, whether based on sex, gender, race, disability, sexuality, lower socio-economic groups or other characteristics. We would be pleased to discuss our culture and commitments with any interested individuals.
How to apply
For further details, including the job description, person specification, and information on how to apply, please click the button at the bottom of this page, and quote reference number 5874 when taken to a new page. Candidates wishing to apply should submit a CV (including comprehensive details of key achievements and responsibilities) along with a covering letter which fully addresses the competencies outlined in the role description and person specification.
The closing date for applications is 9am (BST) on Monday 13th June 2022.
RL Commercial will be supported in these appointments by executive search firm Perrett Laver. Any initial enquiries should be directed to Ikem Nwankwo on +44 (0)20 7340 6208 or ikem.nwankwo@perrettlaver.com
Please note applicants must be ‘Independent’ meaning that the applicant (and any relative of that applicant) not being an Influential Person of any RFL Member or other Rugby League club participating in the Super League, Championship, League 1 or Women’s Super League (or equivalent from time to time) at the relevant time or within the preceding 24 months.
Accessibility
Should you require access to these documents in alternative formats, please contact Lina Franzen on lina.franzen@perrettlaver.com
If you have comments that would support us to improve access to documentation, or our application processes more generally, please do not hesitate to contact us via accessibility@perrettlaver.com
Data Protection and Privacy
Protecting your personal data is of the utmost importance to Perrett Laver and we take this responsibility very seriously. Any information obtained by our trading divisions is held and processed in accordance with the relevant data protection legislation. The data you provide us with is securely stored on our computerised database and transferred to our clients for the purposes of presenting you as a candidate and/or considering your suitability for a role you have registered interest in.
As defined under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Perrett Laver is a Data Controller and a Data Processor, and our legal basis for processing your personal data is ‘Legitimate Interests’. You have the right to object to us processing your data in this way. For more information about this, your rights, and our approach to Data Protection and Privacy, please visit our website http://www.perrettlaver.com/information/privacy/
