Malcolm Wall named new Professional Rugby Board chairman
- Published
The Professional Rugby Board is made up of representatives from the Welsh Rugby Union and four regions
Former Harlequins chairman Malcolm Wall has replaced Amanda Blanc as the new independent chair of Professional Rugby Board (PRB).
Blanc officially stepped down last month and Wall has been named as her successor.
The recommendation was ratified by the Welsh Rugby Union and he will sit on the board of the WRU.
"It will be an honour to serve Welsh rugby," said Wall.
Wall becomes the third chair taking over from Blanc, who has served since December 2019, and the PRB's inaugural chair David Lovett.
"Rugby is at a critical stage of its development from a global perspective," added Wall.
"The game needs to be agile and to continue to evolve and adapt but that is exactly what the PRB is in place to facilitate and it will be my great pleasure to bring all of my business experience and skills to the table in the very best interests of the professional game in Wales."
The PRB comprises representatives from each of the five professional entities in Welsh rugby.
It consists of the four regional representatives, Alun Jones (Cardiff Rugby), David Buttress (Dragons), Nick Garcia (Ospreys) and Simon Muderack (Scarlets), along with WRU CEO Steve Phillips, WRU finance director Tim Moss and two independent members, being Wall as chair and also Marianne Økland.
The PRB meetings are also attended by the WRU's performance director Nigel Walker and the chair of the rugby management board, Jon Daniels.
The PRB has operated as a sub-board of the WRU since a modernised governance structure was passed by its members, clubs and districts at its Annual General Meeting (AGM) in October 2018.
Who is Malcolm Wall?
Malcom Wall had two stints as Harlequins chairman between 1997 and 1999, and between 2009 and 2011.
Wall began his media career at Southern, Anglia and then Granada Television before becoming deputy CEO of Meridian Broadcasting in the early 90s.
He went on to lead the multinational media company United Business Media as COO over a four year period before being made a CEO for Virgin Media LLC in 2006.
Wall ran Virgin Media's content business for three years, including Virgin Media Television and was also chairman of UKTV.
Currently chairman at three separate media companies - including dock10 Ltd, the Media City production facility and largest independent television studios in the UK - Wall has previously been a non-executive Director of Image Nation LLC, the Abu Dhabi based international film fund.
He was formally CEO and then advisor to the board at Abu Dhabi Media and most recently MD at Song Lin Ltd, before forming his own consultancy Malcolm Wall Media in 2013.
Amanda Blanc was the third woman to join the Welsh Rugby Union board
"This is a hugely significant appointment for Welsh rugby, the PRB exists to safeguard the future and facilitate the successful operation of our professional game and it was vital for us to find someone of Malcom's calibre, relevant knowledge, experience and business acumen, to fill this important position," said WRU chair Rob Butcher.
"Malcolm follows an incredible leader and an inspiring individual, in Amanda Blanc, into the role and we thank Amanda sincerely for her great contribution to our game.
"But Malcolm has shone through from an impressive list of candidates and we are highly confident we have found the very best person for the job and are delighted that Malcolm has accepted the challenge of chairing some of the most important discussions taking place in Welsh rugby today."