In the wake of the latest 'controversies' that appear to have angered many involved in our sport - from players, to fans, to club chairmen, isn't it time that we examine the credentials and CV's of the men from the RFL charged with crucial decision making and the future of RL in this country.
What has Nigel Wood ever achieved in this sport, and what background can he boast that makes him a suitable high-level administrator?
Who is this Ralph Rimmer guy? What makes him suitable for the position he occupies? I'm aware he was involved with the Huddersfield Giants, but what elevated him to his current position of power?
And finally, to Mr.Lewis. Formerly involved with the sport of tennis, what achievements in that environment afforded him his role at the pinnacle of UK Rugby League?
This isn't an attack on their abilities, by the way. I'd just like to know how appropriate their occupation of key positions within this sport really is.

I don't think you can doubt Lewis' credentials. He took over from a completely different sport and has taken the game to new heights.

Tennis.........thats a game that has a national profile, lots of people playing and a number of UK players that are competitive on the world stage

Not

Er! no he hasn't.

Taken it out of the red into the black, turned a profit every year, attendances are some of the biggest on average, sponsorship and TV rights constantly increasing.

No, he's done nothing.

Why ask them?

Shouldn't Rupert Murdoch be the one having to answer questions in regards to the way he has taken over RL everywhere and drip feed it while helping out all the other sports with bigger and better TV deals and exposure?

Maybe the hard question should be asked of him, that being, is his organisation drip feeding RL so that clubs go broke, the game falls in a heap so he can then step in and have a merged (takeover) Rugby code?

Surprise,surprise,the people who can't,criticise those who do - Richard Lewisis now probably the leading Sports Administrator in the U K,which is why he is also now Chairman of Sports England.For the idiot above,who clearly doesn't even know how to use google,he didn't administrate in tennis,he played it.

Suggest you go for google lessons speccy! Might need to take the old blinkers first though eh? Oh, and remove the fingers from your ears!

Speccy is right, Lewis only played tennis, he's never had any other role in that sport, and clearly he's earned enough kudos to now be at Sport England as well. Wouldn't you rather have your own sport represented at the top table of the national body for sport?

You could equally ask each club or business how their managers got to be where they are now ... there's no set route to getting to the top, but they've done it and you and I haven't, so get over it.

To add to Wellsy13: modern stadia, players welfare support, an improved international game, maybe even better/some integration with the amateur game (???)

c/o Wikipedia

"After finishing his playing career, Lewis moved into sports administration joining the U.K. Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) in 1987, rising to become the its director of tennis, but agreeing to leave his position in the wake of a 2000 loss to Ecuador that led to reduction of British tennis's status from "World" to "Euro-African Zone".

You reckon tennis has a lower national profile than rl?

isnt tennis one of the biggest sports by participation? and has one of the biggest annual sporting events in the world in the UK each year?

As rugby league fans it’s natural to be very critical indeed. Even if our sport was the most popular in the world, we’ll still be pondering whenever there’s a sport doing much better out they in the universe. However what I think super league has done (from my awareness and articles I’ve seen) is stopped the rot of the game in the top flight. The game was on a downward spiral before Rupert Murdoch stepped in. However I think the thing that frustrates most fans is where to go from here.

We just seem to be standing still!

How many people in Britain or around the world know who Andy Murray is? How many people in Britain know who the England Rugby League captain is?

I'd take Tennis' profile over RL's any day.

Anyone who suggests Lewis has done poorly in his job at the RFL clearly hasnt got a clue.

That Richard Lewis is a right to[is[/iser after all, what's he done for the game apart from:

Taking over a game that had just managed to pi[is[/is £2 millions away on the 2000 RLWC and turning it back to profit?

Making the Aussies realise the importance of International RL in order to maintain a world presence?

Healing the divisive and acrimonious rifts between SL, RFL & BARLA?

Introducing the Tri- Nations concept?

Negotiating increased deals from Sky & BBC, against all expectations?

Persuading the other SL chairmen to back the re-branding of London Broncos, rather than suffer the embarassment of the London club simply folding mid-season?

Pushing for the inclusion of Catalans Dragons in SL?

Getting RL included in The Commonwealth Games?

What a prat eh?

RFL revenue in 2001 = £7.5m, RFL revenue in 2010 = £22.8m

I agree, he's been rubbish.



still getting there on that one - but progress being made. but what we do have the largest amount of public funding flowing into the sport ever!

Not impressed with Richard Lewis and Nigel wood at all, these two have fragmented the sport, lowered the game profile in world sport, reduced media coverage, reduced major sponsor support, and gone on an expansion program with little thought.

True we have more profit margin, but this was at the expense of dismantling great Britain so that funding could procurred from Sport England, the only thing Richard Lewis/Nigel Wood did was sign up to the deal to allow the monies to come in.

They have devalued the Challenge Cup and dumbed it down to a competition that hides between the superleague programme.

They have devalued the international scene by bedding into the SKY controllers, we are no further on in the reduction of overseas players to give home grown players a chance, you can still field half your team with overseas players.

Harlequins, Gateshead, Toulouse, Crusaders are car crashes and will never ever reach the heights of Wigan, Leeds etc. Yet the RFL still found funds to bankroll role them until most of them go into administration etc.

Marketing and Media Relations are very poor, Lottery funding is abysmal, I think Rugby Union has 60 times more lottery funding than Rugby League.

Other than that Lewis and Wood (The Care Takers) are doing a very good job...........

Lewis has done a brilliant job-The game is worlds apart from what it was 10 years ago.

The license system is great for the game and will only improve it-New stadiums, more UK players........

Maybe we could bring back Maureen from Wigan!! You would soon realise what a bent sport he presided over

Can I just point out to the author of this thread that the men in charge of our sport include women?

Clare Morrow is a non-executive Director.

Sally Bolton is the Director of Projects (including the World Cup)
Sue Allan is the Director of Finance

Details of the non-exec Directors are online:
[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/about_the_rfl/the_board_of_directors/the_board[/url

There's lots of public domain info on the RFL website... the CEO's statement and financial statements for last eyar, for example, are here:

[urlhttp://www.therfl.co.uk/about_the_rfl/ceo_statement[/url

Working in sports development, I can tell you that the RFL is considered a stand-out organisation. You only have to look at the shambles in the boardroom in the RFU by way of contrast.

Where is this recognition document sited, the only one I can find is a self analysis one by...............Nigel Wood.

That's about the only thing you've managed to get right.

I have absolutely no idea how old you are but in the 50 years that I've been involved in the sport, I can see major differences and the vast majority have been for the better.

Please feel free to expand on what should be happening, who should oversee the changes and more importantly, how you would secure the funding.

There is more money, sponsors, and TV coverage of the game than ever before, the game is played in more areas, by more people and more government funding than ever before.

No promotion/relegation.
Lower Attendances
Lower Referee Standards
Ever Increasing Overseas Players
Rule Changes Mid Season
Less Media Column Inches
Less Major National Sponsors
Harlequins/Crusaders/Gateshead/Toulouse
Less Rugby League Owned Stadia
Near Extinction of English Superleague Coaches
Dumbing down of the Challenge Cup
Late Fixture Changes
Salary Cap not competitive.
Nigel Wood Who Would You Like to Play Gimmickery
International Status.
Total Dependancy on SKY.

They have undoubtably had some successes , most notably at International level in dealings with Australia and financially turning round the large deficit after the 2000 WC , where they haven't done as well is dealing with the overly large number of overseas players and the I'll fated attempts at expansion

They are probably good at dealings with government funding depts and also with SKY

They have overseen largish expansion at grass roots level ( helped by massive govt funding )

Where they do fall down is with basic understanding of fans and the way they think about the sport and obviously from my point of view , how they see the lower tiers of the professional sport and how to make it grow

No promotion/relegation.-No boom and bust
Lower Attendances-Than when? Use Wilderspool/HJ as an example
Lower Referee Standards-Rubbish-how can professionals be worse-the game is miles faster and more skilled
Ever Increasing Overseas Players-what- SC/franchising is seeing to that
Rule Changes Mid Season-Such as
Less Media Column Inches-Than what
Less Major National Sponsors- Compared to what
Harlequins/Crusaders/Gateshead/Toulouse-past wales teams. Blackpool, Kent, Scarborough......
Less Rugby League Owned Stadia-But a hell of a lot better quality
Near Extinction of English Superleague Coaches-
Dumbing down of the Challenge Cup-By expanding the week in week out game- 80000 at Wire/Leeds
Late Fixture Changes-and
Salary Cap not competitive. Wigan domination not competitive
Nigel Wood Who Would You Like to Play Gimmickery
International Status. of what? GB- demise started long before wood/Lewis
Total Dependancy on SKY. rather than dependence on local businessmen struggling to prop clubs up

Good try all the same