Dragons boss David Buttress, football chief Steve Dalton OBE and former Wales international Andy Marinos are all in contention to become the next chief executive of the Welsh Rugby Union, we can reveal.
The WRU have been looking for a full time CEO since Steve Phillips resigned back in January following allegations of misogyny and sexism within the governing body.
Former Wales wing Nigel Walker has held the title on an interim basis for the past five months. He too is understood to be in the running to take the job on permanently.
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The process to appoint Phillips' successor is likely to take months given the WRU have to first find an independent chair. However, a shortlist of contenders has been put together.
One of the names on the list is chair Buttress, who has many admirers within the WRU. Buttress' primary focus has to be getting the Dragons into private ownership. Wales Online understands that should the 45-year-old businessman get the job it would not affect the sale of the Newport based side who are currently owned by the WRU.
As founder and former chief executive of online food order and delivery service Just Eat, and chairman of 83North Venture Capital, Buttress has experience in business, as well as rugby.
Buttress, who comes from Cwmbran, built Just Eat from a basement start-up in 2008 into a global business which now has a market capitalisation on the London Stock Exchange of £4.7bn.
Another leading front runner is a football powerbroker, FA of Wales bigwig Dalton, who was managing director of Sony UK Technology Centre in Pencoed from 2006 to 2022.
Dalton has held down a role as independent chair of the board of directors at the FAW, while he also has Board experience in the public sector. He has helped play a role in what is seen as the modernisation of the FAW.
Arguably the most intriguing contender is Marinos, who won eight caps for Wales between 2002 and 2003 while playing centre for Newport.
Since retiring from the game in 2004, the 50-year-old has forged a successful career as a sports administrator and held down senior roles within the South African Rugby Union and as SANZAAR chief executive between 2016 and 2021.
Most recently, Marinos was CEO of the Rugby Australia, doing a tremendous job in turning around their finances.
During the Covid pandemic Rugby Australia posted a $27.1million deficit but under Marinos' leadership they recorded an $8.2million profit in 2022. He was also a WRU board member for a year between 2004 and 2005.
The WRU have also been long standing admirers of Mars regional president of Europe and ANZ Deri Watkins who turned down the chief executive job in 2020 and is a person of interest this time.
There are others on the shortlist, and there is no guarantee Buttress, Dalton or Marinos will get the job. But WalesOnline have been told by three high ranking figures in Welsh rugby that trio, as well as Walker, are under major consideration for perhaps the toughest job in Welsh sport.
Whoever lands the role has a hugely difficult task on their hands, with the game in Wales at its lowest ebb since the 2002-03 season when former CEO David Moffett took the sport regional.
Fully 20 years on the regional game is in a pitiful state, the national side is struggling badly, while a taskforce has been set up under the control of Dame Anne Rafferty to determine whether there is a culture of misogyny, and sexism within the WRU.
An interesting summer lies ahead and the WRU know they need to appoint the right person.
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