The Rugby Football League (RFL) announced today that their CEO, Tony Sutton, will stand down from his position, after helping the board with succession planning and other issues for the rest of the year.
Sutton has been a part of the RFL since 2017, having previously worked for Hull FC, starting as Director of Finance and Facilities, before moving on to Chief Operating Officer in 2019, before finally taking over the top job after Ralph Rimmer’s departure in late 2022.
In a statement to the RFL website, Mr Sutton said: “It has been a privilege to work in a sport I have come to love over more than two decades, with Hull FC and the RFL – and especially to hold the position of Chief Executive of the RFL for the last three years.”
“There have inevitably been major challenges during that period, most obviously the pandemic of 2020 – but throughout them all, it is the commitment and support of the staff of the RFL that I will remember the most fondly.”
“Rugby League is a unique sport, full of special people, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences it has provided.”
“To the RFL staff, including the match officials and so many other unsung heroes of the sport, I wish huge success and enjoyment, as the 2025 domestic season reaches its crescendo followed by a men’s Ashes series in England, and a Wheelchair series in Australia.”
Before his departure, Tony Sutton will be a part of the panel which decides which two (if any) teams will join the expanded fourteen-team Super League in 2026. Gerrim Onside would like to send our best wishes to Mr Sutton for the future.
Written by Nathan Major (Site editor & Hull KR fan)
Gerrim Onside! 
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