World Rugby Appoints Alan Gilpin as CEO

World Rugby has appointed Alan Gilpin as Chief Executive Officer.

Alan, 47, has performed the role of Interim Chief Executive following Brett Gosper’s departure in January.

He has a broad and intimate understanding of World Rugby’s business operations having performed the dual role of Chief Operating Officer (COO) and Managing Director of Rugby World Cup since 2016, after joining the international federation to run the portfolio of Rugby World Cup properties in 2014.

Sir Bill Beaumont, World Rugby Chairman, said, “Alan is well known and very well respected by the rugby family through his roles as Managing Director of Rugby World Cup and Chief Operating Officer of World Rugby, and I have long admired his passion, energy, innovation and leadership skills.

“I am excited by Alan’s vision for the future of the organisation and the moves the sport needs to take to become truly global and drive sustainable growth in new, key markets. His intimate knowledge of the business of the sport, the opportunities and challenges we collectively face as a family and his excellent leadership and stakeholder relations skills make him the stand-out and right choice for this role at an important and exciting time for the sport globally.”

With a legal background, Alan spent nine years at IMG where he was responsible for the commercial rights negotiations across the Rugby World Cups in 2003, 2007 and 2011. Then, in a leadership role with a joint venture between Sodexo and Mike Burton Group, he oversaw the hospitality programme for the London 2012 Olympic Games and was instrumental in the delivery of a record Rugby World Cup 2015 official hospitality programme.

Having overseen the delivery of record-breaking men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups and played a significant role in the transformation of the international federation’s business operations in recent years as COO, Alan is fully focused on the future.

“I am immensely proud and honoured to take up the role as Chief Executive of World Rugby, and to lead an organisation that is at a really exciting stage in its history,” Alan said. “With a new Strategic Plan ready to launch, considerable talent within the organisation, and an executive board that has ambitious goals for the next few years, it is set to be a pivotal period in the growth of the sport.”

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