Marketing chief quits rugby body
The Rugby Football League (RFL) is searching for a marketing director following the departure of Glen Baker after less than six months in the job.
Baker joined in April from consumer electronics group LG Electronics. He replaced Neal Coupland, who left to go to sports marketing agency Bermitz Sports. A spokesman for the RFL says that Baker left because of a “change in personal circumstances”. The new marketing director will have responsibility for marketing, events and PR and command a salary of about &£65,000.
The RFL has been trying to widen its commercial offering. Last year, Coupland introduced an associate sponsorship level, which allowed brands to gain access to all levels of the sport from grass roots to its highest level. Earlier this year, it secured TXU Energi as the sponsor of the Challenge Cup in a three-year, &£3.7m deal, with an option to extend the arrangement for another three years (MW July 25).
Prior to this deal, the RFL was sponsored for a year by Kellogg’s Nutri-Grain brand. Before that the cup had been sponsored by Silk Cut for 15 years. A sponsorship deal with Nestle Rowntree’s Lion Bar brand has also been secured by the organisation.
