New RFL president Claire Balding hoping to spread word on back of a successful World Cup

GIVEN its need to command national appeal and reach new ground, it is perhaps no surprise the Rugby Football League opted to invite Clare Balding to be their latest president.
Picture by Rugby Football League/SWpix.com - 16/07/2020 - Rugby League - Clare Balding is announced as the new president of the Rugby Football League, the broadcaster has officially replaced former Arsenal captain Tony Adams in the role and will be the 30th RFL president.Picture by Rugby Football League/SWpix.com - 16/07/2020 - Rugby League - Clare Balding is announced as the new president of the Rugby Football League, the broadcaster has officially replaced former Arsenal captain Tony Adams in the role and will be the 30th RFL president.
Picture by Rugby Football League/SWpix.com - 16/07/2020 - Rugby League - Clare Balding is announced as the new president of the Rugby Football League, the broadcaster has officially replaced former Arsenal captain Tony Adams in the role and will be the 30th RFL president.

The highly-regarded BBC sports presenter officially started her two-year reign earlier this week and has plenty of ideas about how she would like to make a positive impact.

She took over from Tony Adams, the former Arsenal and England captain whose appointment and profile had also managed to bring much-needed fresh eyes on the sport.

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Indeed, gone are the days when the RFL would simply hand the honorary, ambassadorial role to a long-serving official within the sport, clubs seemingly taking it in turn to sit in office.

Although Balding is the 30th president, the former Salford player Les Bettinson, who went on to serve as coach and director at the club as well as becoming a Great Britain team manager, was the first to take it on in 1987-88.

Since then such administrative doyens as Wigan’s Maurice Lindsay, Leeds’ Gary Hetherington and the incomparable Harry Jepson as well as legendary Hull KR figure Colin Hutton, Batley owner Kevin Nicholas and Hall of Famer Bev Risman have all gladly accepted the role.

Nevertheless, after Dewsbury Rams financial director Andrew Farrow served in 2014-15, the governing body has clearly – and rightly – changed tack.

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The RAF’s Air Commodore Dean Andrew, who was born in Hull, succeeded Farrow and then he was followed by Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester and former cabinet minister.

Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 24/07/2019 - Rugby League - Rugby Football League Council Meeting - The Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England - Tony Adams receives the Rugby Football League Presidential chains.Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 24/07/2019 - Rugby League - Rugby Football League Council Meeting - The Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England - Tony Adams receives the Rugby Football League Presidential chains.
Picture by Allan McKenzie/SWpix.com - 24/07/2019 - Rugby League - Rugby Football League Council Meeting - The Keepmoat Stadium, Doncaster, England - Tony Adams receives the Rugby Football League Presidential chains.

Adams, who concentrated much of his 12 months in charge on highlighting player welfare and rehabilitation, helped secure coverage on the back pages of national newspapers following his arrival and Balding, too, will no doubt have similar appeal.

With her horse racing background, when she first took on board the BBC’s Challenge Cup coverage, she soon got to grips with rugby league and regularly admitted how much she had fallen in love both with the sport and its characters.

Speaking this week after taking over from Adams, Balding said: “Their openness surprised me and there are a lot of misconceptions and assumptions surrounding rugby league.

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“One of them is it’s full of alpha males that aren’t going to shed a tear.

Picture by Chris Mangnall/swpix.com - 24/01/2019 - Rugby League - Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup - Promotion - M&S Bank Arena - Liverpool -
James SimpsonPicture by Chris Mangnall/swpix.com - 24/01/2019 - Rugby League - Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup - Promotion - M&S Bank Arena - Liverpool -
James Simpson
Picture by Chris Mangnall/swpix.com - 24/01/2019 - Rugby League - Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup - Promotion - M&S Bank Arena - Liverpool - James Simpson

“Across the game, there’s an honesty and an intelligence that’s very appealing to people as players are generally as honest about their struggles as their success.

“And as a sport, it’s willing to look at itself and go, ‘Are we getting it right?’”

Balding intends to use the next 24 months to help build the women’s game and hopefully see it turn professional.

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She will be at the helm when England hosts the 2021 Rugby League World Cup when the men’s, women’s and wheelchair tournaments will all take place together for the first time.

The Women’s Super League – in doubt this year due to coronavirus – is growing but not at the pace of football, cricket or rugby union in this country, something Balding hopes to help remedy.

“You’ve got to get the financials right, that’s why women’s tennis has traditionally been so successful,” she said.

“They got a sponsor on board and that’s what gave them credibility – money talks and it always will. It’s one thing for everyone to talk a good game and say they want to give the women’s game a profile.

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“But unless you get financial backing, you cannot take yourselves seriously. We should have a brainstorming session and talk about specific companies that we know are trying to appeal to a female customer base.

“We don’t have the history of women’s football and most people won’t have seen the sport when the World Cup comes around. Professionalism can’t happen overnight but I think the World Cup will make a big difference in the same way it did for women’s football.

“I’d also hope to spread the message to a slightly different audience and there are real opportunities. Capitalising on the World Cup is a golden opportunity for this sport.”

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