Rugby League

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Presidents

The roles of President and Vice President are honorary and appointed by the RFL Council

OVERVIEW

The roles of President and Vice President are honorary, unpaid roles. Each role is appointed by the RFL Council.

The President is an individual who the RFL Council believes will represent Rugby League with distinction and add significant profile to the game. The Vice President is usually the longest serving member of the RFL Council who has not already served as Vice President or President.  

The President and Vice President represent the RFL at a number of different events during their term of office, and will often chose to associate themselves with (and promote) campaigns that have personal resonance. They do not sit on the RFL Board and do not have any decision making powers.

President - Sir Lindsay Hoyle

Vice President

In July 2022 the BARLA chair Sue Taylor succeeded the former Hull KR chief executive Mike Smith as Vice-President of the Rugby Football League, joining RFL President Clare Balding OBE as one half of the first all-female duo in these honorary roles.  

Sue is Rugby League through-and-through. She hails from the birthplace of the sport and has been a loyal servant to the community game for longer than she cares to remember. In fact, it was through Rugby League, and specifically the Underbank club, that Sue met her husband John. It was the start of a lifelong love affair…with Rugby League! She even became Underbank secretary for a time, performed similar roles at St Joseph’s and at Paddock, and in 1989 helped set up the Newsome Magpies club – now known as Newsome Panthers.

Sue’s dedication to the Huddersfield Amateur League saw her became treasurer and secretary, with the Pennine League also benefitting from her business acumen and experience.  

In 2013 Sue became the first female Chair of BARLA and brings to the Vice-President’s role a strong and passionate voice for the community game. Among her priorities for 2022/23, Sue aims to promote ‘respect’ and ‘enjoy the game’, help grow participation numbers and increase the number of match officials – without whom there would be no game. 

Due in part to the Covid-enforced delay to the Rugby League World Cup, Sue’s tenure will be 18 months rather than the usual 12. 

Deputy Vice President

Trevor Hunt has over 50 years experience at all levels within the sport, particularly in the Community Game, but also as a journalist and broadcaster of the professional International and Domestic competitions 

Trevor started with Leeds University in 1971, and acted as Secretary before he went to Leigh Miners as a player and committee member from 1974-99. He was elected to the NCL committee from 1986 to 97 as a Club Representative, before becoming Vice Chair in 1997 to 2006 when he was elected to Chair – role he holds to the present day.

Trevor has served on the various Lancashire County Committees throughout the 1980’s and was the BARLA GB Media Manager from 1982-97 during which he was a member of the first ever Open-age Tours to the South Pacific in 1990 and 1994, as well as to South Africa in 1995.

On top of that Trevor has been a key broadcaster and presenter with Radio Manchester from 1986 to the present day which includes the award winning RLExtra programme since 1996, winning a Gillard (the equivalent of a radio Oscar), in 2011. He has covered every RLWC since 1995.

Trevor is the current Chair of the Rugby League Writers and Broadcasters Association, having been elected to the post in 2009, after acting as Secretary from 1997.

In the meantime he covered the fortunes of Leigh Centurions for 35 years in the Leigh Reporter, and was a key writer for the Rugby Leaguer, League Express and Wigan Evening Post for over 40 years, where he has written millions of words on the Community and Professional game.

This has all been achieved whilst delivering a high pressure day job, with Central Government, the European Commission and then the Private Sector.

He is passionate, driven and determined to get the very best for the sport and the Community game.


PAST PRESIDENTS

YearNameClub
2022 - 2023Sir Lindsay Hoyle
2021 - 2022Clare Balding CBE
2019 - 2020
Tony Adams MBE
2017 - 2018Andy Burnham
2016 - 2017Air Cdre Dean Andrew
2015 - 2016Paul MorganHuddersfield Giants
2014 - 2015Andrew Farrow
2013 - 2014David Oxley CBE
2012 - 2013Jim Hartley
2010 - 2011Bev Risman OBE
2009 - 2010Chris HamiltonOldham
2008 - 2009K NicholasBatley Bulldogs
2007 - 2008G LilesHunslet Hawks
2006 - 2007S WagnerFeatherstone Rovers
2005 - 2006P HindleCastleford Tigers
2004 - 2005G HetheringtonLeeds Rhinos
2003 - 2004T FleetWidnes Vikings
2002 - 2003R TaylorRochdale Hornets
2001 - 2002M WhiteSwinton Lions
2000 - 2001R CalvinWhitehaven
1999 - 2000W GarrettWarrington Wolves
1998 - 1999T SmithWidnes Vikings
1997W.J MasonHunslet
1995 - 1996K HetheringtonSheffield Eagles
1994 - 1995R TeemanBramley
1993 - 1994R WaudbyHull
1992 - 1993C.C HuttonHull Kingston Rovers
1991 - 1992M.P LindsayWigan
1990 - 1991H Jepson OBELeeds
1989 - 1990S AckroydHalifax
1988 - 1989L.J BettinsonSalford

THE PRESIDENT’S AWARDS WINNERS

The RFL President’s Awards are special awards in the gift of the President and are designed to recognise inspiring work to change lives and communities through Rugby League, and achievements by players, coaches and volunteers which bring the sport to new audiences. Lindsay Anfield received her award thanks to her dedication to her Castleford women's team’s success, and wider campaigning around women’s rugby league; combining her coaching commitments with an exceptionally busy senior role in education.

Lindsay undertook the Women into High Performance Coaching – a UK Coaching programme. This was a yearlong, bespoke and rigorous programme aimed at female coaches who have been identified by their National Governing Body to have the potential to work within the performance environment within one to five years.

Reece Lyne is one of several Super League players who have given time and expertise to support a ground-breaking project at Wetherby Young Offenders Institute delivered by the charity Rugby League Cares.

The programme involved players sharing their own experiences with young people and mentoring them to help improve their self-esteem and get their lives back on track.

Separately from the Rugby League Cares project, Reece has also developed a mentoring programme of his own with young offenders in Hull whose behaviour has disrupted their own lives and affected the lives of others. 

YearWinnerClubAwarding President
2022Dr Richard LawrenceClare Balding
2022Tracey HerdClare Balding
2020Mark AdamsCommunity Integrated CareClare Balding
2020Dr Gemma PhillipsHull Kingston Rovers & England Rugby LeagueTony Adams
2019Reece LyneWakefield TrinityTony Adams
2019Lindsay AnfieldCastleford TigersAndy Burnham