Sign in Subscribe
Sports associations

ECB Administrator Resigns Amid Rebel Rugby League Involvement

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A senior administrator at the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB), Stuart Hooper, has resigned amidst controversy over his involvement with the rebel rugby league, R360. Hooper, a former player and director of rugby, had been working at the ECB for around 18 months as director of cricket operations. His resignation comes after it was revealed that he is one of the driving forces behind R360, which aims to create a new league with seven-figure salaries and a grand prix-style tour around the world. The development has been met with criticism from within the rugby establishment, with some describing the plans as "delusional."

Key Takeaways:

  • Stuart Hooper, a senior administrator at the ECB, has resigned from his position as director of cricket operations.
  • Hooper was involved in the development of R360, a rebel rugby league that promises to pay players seven-figure salaries.
  • Hooper had been working at the ECB for around 18 months before his resignation, having replaced another rugby man, David Humphreys, who left to join the Irish Rugby Football Union.
  • R360's plans involve creating new franchise teams and taking the game on a "grand prix style" tour around the world, posing a direct threat to the traditional club model.
  • Other key players behind R360 include Mike Tindall, a World Cup winner and member of the Royal Family, Mark Spoors, a former players' agent, and John Loffhagen, a lawyer involved with LIV Golf and the IPL.
  • The ECB has moved quickly to replace Hooper, with Rob Hillman taking over his role internally.
  • Tony Singh, the chief commercial officer, will leave the ECB to join Netflix later this summer, and his replacement will likely be heavily involved in securing the next major broadcast deal, worth £220 million per year, which runs out at the end of the 2028 summer.

Statistics:

  • The annual value of the current broadcast deal with Sky is £220 million.
  • Stuart Hooper had been working at the ECB for around 18 months before his resignation.
  • The current deal with Sky runs out at the end of the 2028 summer.

Sources:

  • Telegraph Sport (no date provided)
  • Telegraph Sport (no date provided)
  • Getty Images/Bob Bradford (caption)

Read more