Nolan appointed new RFL chief executive
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- Ian Nolan will become RFL chief executive on October 1, 2026, succeeding interim leaders Abi Ekoku and Rhodri Jones (RL Commercial's managing director), who stepped in after Tony Sutton stood down in September
- Nolan, 44, spent seven years as a senior executive at Manchester United leading the club's global media network, before joining Science in Sport (SiS) as chief marketing officer
- RFL chair Nigel Wood called the appointment "the most significant" step in a "bold and ambitious new strategy" aimed at returning revenues "to an upward trajectory after the past few years"
- Wood pointed to the recent Magic Weekend, attended by more than 80,000 people, as proof of the sport's underlying strength heading into the strategic reset
- Sky Sports will broadcast every Super League fixture live this season, with two matches per round exclusive to main Sky Sports and the remaining five carried on Sky Sports+
Why it matters: The RFL is entrusting its top operational role to a commercial and digital-marketing specialist — Nolan ran Manchester United's global media network for seven years — signaling that revenue rebuilding and international growth are now the central priority rather than traditional rugby governance. With Sky Sports already committed to broadcasting every Super League match live this season, the new CEO inherits a full content pipeline and an immediate mandate to monetize it.
