A Review of the 2013 Rugby League World Cup – Nigel Wood, RFL CEO

With the Rugby League World Cup ending on November 30, 2013, iSportconnect took the opportunity to interview the Rugby Football League’s CEO, Nigel Wood. Nigel talks to iSportconnect about audience figures, the legacy he envisages for the tournament and more.

From an organisational stand-point, was the Rugby League World Cup a success?

Yes I think so. It has been quite a complex undertaking to stage 28 games over 35 days but I think our team has managed to achieve that. It has been a wonderful celebration of Rugby League. Australia prevailed in the end but there has been a lot of exciting stories over the course of the competition and performances you would not have expected.

How were the attendance and broadcast figures for the tournament?

When we won the right to host the tournament we set the goal with the national bodies to stage the greatest Rugby League World Cup there had ever been. We therefore wanted more people to attend, more people to watch on television and more revenue to be generated. I think we have achieved that. Five hundred thousand people watched the games and the viewing figures on terrestrial television have been very impressive. The general visibility around the tournament has been super. We have not done the final accounts for tournament just yet, but we are very confident when we do hand it back to the international federation it will be a record and they can then spend that on international development.

When the host nation England was knocked out in the semi-finals, did you see a drop in attendance and viewing figures and perhaps overall public interest?

No I do not think so. One element of the tournament was the sell-out at Old Trafford for Australia vs. New Zealand. There were 74,000 spectators there, for a game that did not involve one of the home nations. Most of that was pre-sold which is a terrific achievement. Whether England progressed or did not progress was not fundamental to the success of the tournament. Obviously as a patriot you want the home teams to do well and nothing would light the blue touch paper for Rugby League as much as England winning internationally. However, it was not meant to be despite playing very admirably and valiantly against New Zealand.

Do you have any international viewing figures and stats? Do you know if the tournament was well received across the world?

The general consensus from around the world has been really positive. I think there was a degree of cynicism before the tournament. I think a lot of people felt that Rugby League was not a traditional place for World Cups and people thought there could only be one winner. I feel that we have had a wonderful spectacle, with some shock nations emerging such as the USA and Italy, bringing some real charm to the tournament. It has been a wonderful celebration of the sport.

What are your legacy plans?

There are a number of legacy plans, both domestically and internationally. From an international perspective it is important the international federation gets the resourcing it requires so it can invest in the international game. From a domestic perspective, of course more people have been touched by the sport as a consequence of this World Cup and we have to retain those people. We want them to attend on a regular basis or to watch the Super League on television. In regards to participation there are plenty of opportunities, from playing, to coaching or referring. There are therefore many different ways the sport can benefit from hosting the World Cup in this country.

What benefits will those clubs who hosted matches receive?

Lots of clubs have already benefited. I heard a story that Rochdale Hornets have already sold more season tickets for next year then they have done in the previous couple of years. One reason for this is because they hosted the Fiji vs. Ireland match. There are lots of individual anecdotes but it is down to all of us; the individuals, the owners and the community clubs to reach out and take advantage of the increased interest that Rugby League has had over the last five weeks.

The UK has been awarded a lot of tournaments lately. Do you think that the World Cup perhaps has gone under the radar for the public?

I do not think it has gone under the radar. As far as we are aware it has been widely acknowledged and not just in those parts of the media where you would expect it to be. It has captured the nation’s attention and I think the viewing figures, particularly for the semi-final, were enormous. I think it reached people who would not ordinarily engage with Rugby League. So no, I do not think it went under the radar and in fact I think quite the contrary. It has been a resounding success and I think the whole nation has embraced it.

Will we see another bid for a future World Cup?

The next World Cup will be in 2017 and the application process for that has already commenced. There are two bids; a joint bid from Australia and New Zealand, plus one from South Africa. The evaluation panel is looking at that and will make its recommendation to the international federation next year. Moving forward to 2021, I am sure there is every likelihood that the RFL will want to be considered as a potential host.

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Nigel Wood joined the RFL in 2001 when he authored the RFL Strategic Review. The Review made over 120 recommendations, the most fundamental of which instigated the RFL Governance Structure, the creation of the Independent Board of Directors and the re-unification of Super League (Europe) Ltd into the RFL.

In 2002 Nigel was appointed Finance Director and led the RFL’s financial recovery from the losses of 2001 and the incorporation process which was concluded in 2003, where upon he was appointed Chief Operating Officer.

Nigel became Chief Executive in November 2007 and takes responsibility for day-to-day running of the RFL. Nigel is also a director of Super League (Europe) Ltd, a position he has held since the creation of the company in 1996. Over the past three years, under Nigel’s stewardship, the RFL has seen consecutive years of increased turnover from £13.4 million in 2007 to £21.9million in 2009.

Prior to working for the RFL, Nigel was Chief Executive of Super League Club Halifax Blue Sox and Deputy Head of Finance for BBC North.

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