IRL appoint John Nicholl as Head of Commercial & Operations

International Rugby League is pleased to announce the appointment of John Nicholl as Head of Commercial & Operations - IRL.

Based in Sydney, John is responsible for developing the commercial strategy to drive revenue growth for key IRL assets, matches and events.

Among his main goals are to optimise the value of commercial partnerships, maximise the value of IRL media rights, grow the value of IRL brands and explore incremental revenue streams.

John joins IRL after more than 20 years of experience working for brands, agencies and rights holders in the commercial sports space.

“I am delighted to be joining IRL at an exciting time of major international growth for Rugby League,” Mr Nicholl said.

“With the recently announced Rugby League World Cup to be held in Australia in 2026, along with standalone World Cups in 2028, 2029 and 2030, the opportunity to join IRL to work with key stakeholders to drive revenue growth is compelling.

“IRL’s array of international events, matches and assets represents an incredible opportunity for commercial partners and broadcasters to connect and engage with significant numbers of new & existing fans.

“I look forward to working with progressive organisations who share our vision & growth objectives for Rugby League around the globe.”

John brings with him a decade of experience on the executive team as the Head of Commercial Revenues for Rugby Australia, TEG and more recently the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023.

He has led and managed various teams across commercial partnerships, partner sales, ticketing, hospitality, licensed & retail and other key revenue channels.

In each role, John has been responsible for growing revenues and he had established a broad network across the sporting world.

Previously, John was a Business Director for WPP Australia, CEO of a sports sponsorship/athlete management business and performed various senior sales and marketing roles with Coca-Cola Australia.

IRL secretary-general Danny Kazandjian said: “John’s appointment is a key part of IRL’s new business model, agreed in 2023.

“IRL will now be able to exploit our rich asset pool through a coherent, long-term international calendar that offers broadcasters and brands a compelling suite of elite rugby league competitions over several years,” he said.

“The increased revenue will allow IRL to invest more substantially into our members and grow the sport globally, deliberately, and sustainably. John brings a wealth of experience from a multi-sport background and is a fantastic addition to the international federation in this new, exciting era.”