New Rugby Football League chief executive officer Tony Sutton says he “relishes” the challenges ahead for the sport.
He has been acting as interim CEO for the last three months following the departure of Ralph Rimmer in December. But the ex-Hull FC chief operating officer was today confirmed as his successor. It is the third successive time since 2007 that the governing body has decided to promote from within for its highest-ranked role with Nigel Wood and Rimmer previously in charge.
As the sport embarks on a new era under IMG, many had expected a fresh face to lead. But the RFL say Sutton, 49, came out on top after a ‘comprehensive’ search process was led by Perrett Laver, the international executive recruitment specialists, and candidates from around the world and the wider sports industry were assessed by a panel involving club CEOs, partners from Sport England, and the media. Hull-born Sutton has been with the RFL since January 2017 when he was appointed Director of Finance and Facilities, becoming Chief Operating Officer two years later.
