The Rugby Football League announces new Chief Executive Officer
The Rugby Football League today announces that Ralph Rimmer becomes the new CEO of the organisation, with immediate effect.
Ralph Rimmer
Ralph Rimmer, formerly the Chief Operating Officer of the Rugby Football League, has been Interim CEO of the National Governing Body since January.
He began his involvement in the sport as an amateur player and coach in Cumbria and has worked at all levels of the sport in Development, Performance, Club and Stadium management.
He was CEO of Sheffield Eagles during the early days of Super League and helped take the club to the Challenge Cup Final in 1998. He held the post of CEO of Huddersfield Giants from 1999 to 2004.
From 2004 to 2010 he was the Managing Director of the Galpharm Stadium, during which time he was also a Board Director of Huddersfield Town AFC, and remained a Director at Huddersfield Giants RLFC, before joining the Rugby Football League as Chief Operating Officer in 2010.
His international Rugby League experience includes managing the Ireland national team between 1997 and 2002.
The Chairman of the Rugby Football League, Brian Barwick said; “I am absolutely delighted that Ralph is to become the new Chief Executive of the Rugby Football League.
“Ralph is a Rugby League man through and through and has extensive knowledge of the sport at every level.
He is a person of enormous integrity, a straight-talker and somebody who gets things done. He also has the respect of those in the sport for regularly demonstrating those qualities. He is the right person at the right time to be the Executive in charge of our organisation.
“Ralph has huge ambitions for the future of the sport as well as dealing with the ‘here and now’ issues of the game.
“Ralph will start in his new role immediately and the RFL Board offer their sincere congratulations and their total support for their new CEO.”
Ralph Rimmer said; “I am thrilled to be appointed as CEO of the Rugby Football League. I am passionate about the sport and I am honoured to hold this position. I have always taken my responsibilities within the sport extremely seriously, and I take up this role with a 100% commitment to driving Rugby League forward.
I have very many strong relationships within the game and I intend to work collaboratively with all to achieve its future growth and success. I believe that I understand its changing landscape, and am hugely ambitious as to what we can achieve together in the future, including maximising the significant opportunities presented by a home World Cup in 2021. I am convinced that exciting times lie ahead.”
Following an event at MediaCity this morning, the RLWC2021 team today announced details of the £10m ‘Inspired by RLWC2021’ Legacy Facilities Fund for grassroots Rugby League.
The CEO appointment follows a thorough and robust recruitment process led by an external and independent Executive recruitment consultancy, SRi, who were contracted after a competitive tender process.
The opportunity to lead the Rugby Football League attracted a field of exceptional candidates from inside and outside of the sport. The recruitment process, over a number of months, involved two formal interviews. The appointment decision was made by the Non-Executive Directors of the Rugby Football League.