WRU Name Group Chief Executive

The Welsh Rugby Union Group Ltd is pleased to announce that David Moffett has been appointed as its first Group Chief Executive.
The appointment of the 55-year-old, English-born sports administrator to the new post comes after a global search was launched to find the best possible
candidate for the role.

More than 100 applications were received for the position, Mr Moffett beating off four other top-class candidates on the final shortlist of five.
“I am delighted that we have uncovered such a dynamic and
experienced man to take on the vital new role of Group Chief Executive at the Welsh Rugby Union,” said Glanmor Griffiths, chairman of the WRU general committee. “We pledged to our clubs in the wake of the EGM earlier this
year, when big changes were made to the constitution of our game, that we would find the right man to lead Welsh rugby into a new age both on and off the field.”
“In David, who has held significant, high-ranking sporting posts in
Australia, New Zealand and England, we have a man with great management skill and experience.”

The Group Chief Executive is the key appointment within the WRU Group
of Companies. When the re-organisation of the Union is completed next summer, he will be one of the 18 members of the Board of the WRU Ltd and also a member of the Board of Directors of Millennium Stadium plc. The Group Chief Executive will also chair a new six-man WRU Executive
Board which will oversee the day-to-day running of the Union’s business.

The other members of the Executive Board will be the WRU Secretary, Group Finance
Director, Group Marketing Director, the Director of Rugby and the Millennium

Stadium Chief Executive Officer.
BACKGROUND: DAVID MOFFETT
David Moffett was born in Doncaster on 17 May, 1947 but spent much of his early life in Kenya. His family emigrated to Brisbane, Australia in 1963 and he completed his schooling at Brisbane Boys’ College.

After leaving school he worked in a range of positions before owning and selling Pacific Waste Management, one of Sydney’s largest commercial and
industrial waste management companies.

In 1992, David turned his strong business background to sporting
administration and became involved in periods of landmark change in both rugby union and rugby league.

He became executive director of the New South Wales Rugby Union in
1992, when he found himself saddled with A$6m debt. By the time he moved on three years later, when he became the chief executive of South African, New Zealand and Australian Rugby (SANZAR), the NSWRU was debt free.

While at SANZAR, David negotiated international television contracts
and supervised the establishment of the Super 12 competition.
In 1996, he became the first ‘non-Kiwi’ to be appointed chief executive of the New Zealand Rugby Union, helping to guide the body from its amateur status to be among New Zealand’s top 200 companies.

David crossed the Tasman once more in November, 1999 when he took up
the post of chief executive of the National Rugby League of Australia.
Once again, he entered a new role at callenging times as the game in Australia moved towards a 14-team competition. In his two-year tenure he negotiated long-term sponsorship and television rights which provided the financial stability for the code. He also highlighted the need for major structural change in the game’s administration.

In January of this year (2002) he joined Sport England as its chief
executive with a brief to modernise England’s leading sports
development agency. He announced earlier this month he was stepping down from that post having been responsible for driving through a modernisation plan.

Married to Lauren, and with two children, Graeme and Kirsten, David
has a strong sporting background. He has played rugby union, cricket, football, hockey, tennis, squash and golf at a competitive level and remains actively involved in cycling, hiking and walking.