Bill Beaumont & Paul Deighton Appointed to England Rugby 2015 Board

RFU Chairman Bill Beaumont and Paul Deighton, former CEO of the London 2012 organising committee, have been appointed to the Board of the England Rugby 2015 (ER 2015), the Rugby World Cup 2015 organising body.

The appointment of two highly-experienced and respected sporting leaders is another major boost for the tournament as it approaches the 1,000 days to go landmark. England 2015 is on track to deliver millions of opportunities to engage sports fans the length and breadth of the country and around the world through a mouth-watering celebration of world-class Rugby and England’s rich culture and heritage.

The pair will add further Rugby experience and business acumen, major event organisation and influence in the national and international sporting and political landscapes to the Board, which oversees the delivery of an event that is one of the largest and most recognisable sporting events in the world.

Rugby World Cup Limited (RWCL) Chairman Bernard Lapasset said: “The appointment of Beaumont and Deighton – exceptionally high-calibre and experienced individuals – to the ER 2015 Board further underscores the shared commitment with Rugby World Cup Limited to deliver an exceptional Rugby World Cup that England and the global Rugby family will be proud of.”

“Bill Beaumont is steeped in Rugby World Cup knowledge, having served as a Rugby World Cup Limited Director for four years in the planning and delivery of an exceptional New Zealand 2011 tournament and will bring great experience and vision. As Chief Executive of LOCOG, Paul Deighton had overall responsibility for delivering the biggest most successful sporting event in Britain and his vast major event experience, alongside Debbie Jevans, further enhances our vision of delivering a phenomenal sporting event that will engage new audiences the length and breadth of England and beyond through its values of passion, solidarity and fun.”

“This exciting announcement is yet another boost to a tournament that is on track to raise the Rugby World Cup bar and is a fitting way to round off a year that started with the beginning of the global qualification process and culminated with unprecedented interest and excitement around the recent Pool Allocation Draw, a major landmark for fans around the world as they look forward to what promises to be a wonderful Rugby World Cup.”

RFU and Six Nations Chairman and former England captain Beaumont adds extensive knowledge and experience to the Board. A former RWCL Director and current IRB Council Member for England, his appointment further strengthens ER 2015’s relationship with domestic and international governing bodies. In addition to his passion and commitment to the Game he is also heavily involved in charity work as Vice President of the Lancashire Association of Youth Clubs, SPARKS, the Lord Taverners and Honorary President of the Rugby charity Wooden Spoon.

As Chief Executive Officer of LOCOG, Deighton had overall responsibility for the delivery of London 2012. As well as leading the day-to-day operations of LOCOG, he was responsible for raising the £2 billion budget from the private sector and managing relationships with Government and its agencies, the Mayor of London, the British Olympic Association, the British Paralympic Association and other organisations with an interest in the Games. Previously, he was European Chief Operating Officer for Goldman Sachs, and a member of its European Management Committee. He was created a life peer on November 1, 2012 as Baron Deighton of Carshalton and in January 2013 he starts his role as Commercial Secretary to HM Treasury.

“I am very excited to be part of a home Rugby World Cup in 2015 and I will work tirelessly with my fellow Board members and the executive of ER 2015 to ensure that we deliver a World Cup of which the whole country can be proud,” said Beaumont.

Deighton added: “Everyone recognises that the London Olympics and Paralympics have set a high benchmark for international sports events that follow. I want to bring the knowledge and experience gleaned from my time with LOCOG to help ensure that the organisation, delivery and feel-good factor of the Rugby World Cup in 2015 is right up there with London 2012.”

Beaumont and Deighton’s appointment builds on the strong mix of skills and Rugby and major sports event experience within the Board which comprises: Andy Cosslett, ER 2015 Chairman and Chief Executive Fitness First; Debbie Jevans, ER 2015 Chief Executive; Ian Metcalfe, Chairman of the Professional Game Board; Ian Watmore, former Permanent Secretary in the Cabinet Office and Government’s Chief Operating Officer; Ian Ritchie, RFU Chief Executive; Stephen Brown, RFU Chief Financial Officer; Geoff Irvine, Chairman of the RFU Championship and RFU Council Member and Quentin Smith, Chairman of Premiership Rugby.

“England Rugby 2015 continues to draw on the best of London 2012 talent while ensuring that rugby remains at the heart of the organisation. We are very pleased that Bill Beaumont and Paul Deighton will be adding their considerable experience and expertise to the ER 2015 board,” said Cosslett.