Simon Johnson, Chair of the RFL since 2019, will step down after the scheduled spring Council meeting on Wednesday 12 March.
His resignation will end more than a decade serving the sport and nearly six years as Chair. He was appointed interim Chair in July 2019 then named Chair in October 2019 and will now leave with 15 months remaining on his second term.
Simon first joined the Board as a Non-Executive Director in July 2014, adding experience of over two decades operating at the highest level of sports and media. He had been Director of Rights & Business Affairs at ITV, negotiating rights for multiple major sports, spent two years as Director of Legal & Business Affairs at the Premier League, and worked alongside the CEO at the Football Association as Director of Corporate Affairs.
On his resignation, Simon Johnson said:
“I am proud of all that we have achieved in my six years as Chair.
“It has always been my aim to lead an inclusive sport with integrity, honesty, authenticity and openness. My interest has always been to put Rugby League first.
“Now, to enable the sport to move forward constructively, I have decided to step down as Chair at close of business on Wednesday 12 March.
“There is a need to discuss how change can be made, without exposing the sport to undue risk, and I hope that by stepping down I can help those discussions to take place constructively.”
He continued:
“During my tenure, I am immensely proud that we have improved welfare and safety for players by introducing groundbreaking and comprehensive measures to protect brain health, overseen investment in the Women’s & Girls’ game and fuelled the growth of Wheelchair Rugby League.
“We have built on the legacy of staging the most inclusive World Cup ever in 2022 - with Men’s, Women’s and Wheelchair competitions running parallel - and established a long-term and stable International calendar, able to look forward to the benefits that an Ashes series will bring once again. There are more people with more opportunities to enjoy Rugby League.
“I carry memories and achievements which will live with me forever: the annual wreath laying at the Cenotaph before the Challenge Cup Final, the first Women’s Challenge Cup Final at Wembley Stadium and the England Wheelchair team winning the World Cup high among them. On the fifth anniversary of the pandemic, I cannot forget our vital work as we steered the sport through Covid with a ground-breaking Government-backed loan programme and using the same approach of working closely with Clubs that I’ve taken throughout.
“I grew up in Prestwich with an admiration for the sport and if nobody described me as a ‘Rugby League person’ when I first joined the Board, I certainly am now. I wish the sport, in all forms and with all of its supporters and its clubs, the very best for a healthy, sustainable and constructive future.”
The process of securing a new Chair will be decided in due course following a formal Review.
