Simon Johnson ‘absolutely thrilled’ to be chairman of Rugby Football League
'It's about making sure the rugby league is perceived in the way it should be,' Simon Johnson told Jewish News
Simon Johnson said it “was almost the greatest honour of my life” to have been appointed chairman of the Rugby Football League (RFL).
The Jewish Leadership Council (JLC)’s chief executive has been serving as interim chair of the RFL since Brian Barwick stepped down in July.
Johnson, who was formerly a senior lawyer with the Premier League and director of corporate affairs at the FA, has over 20 years’ experience in the industry.
He told JN: “I was absolutely thrilled [when I found out]. I considered it almost to be the greatest honour of my life to have been appointed to do this.
“When I got it, I considered such a thrill, such an honour. I was quite emotional about it because I’d grown to love the sport and to be asked to lead it and take the position of chair really is something that I couldn’t have believed would have happened to me.”
Johnson, who will be joined by non-executive directors Dr Rimla Akhtar and Sandy Lindsay, hopes to “create a compelling narrative for rugby league” that is forward-thinking and positive.
“We’re in the shop window right now. Over the next two years, we have the 125th anniversary of the sport in 2020 and in 2021, we’re hosting the rugby league world cup in England,” he said.
“It’s about making sure the rugby league is perceived in the way it should be, that it’s respected throughout the sports industry and the government,” he added.
On juggling both roles at the JLC and the RFL, Johnson said: “I want to thank the trustees at the JLC for giving me the confidence to be able to do all this.
“They’ve allowed me to be on the board all this time and to assume this role. It is four days a month so I can do it with careful management of my diary.
“I have a very strong team around me here and it enables us to do all the work even when I’m not around and I think careful of my time.”
Despite being a lifelong rugby fan, Johnson does not support a particular team. “No one could accuse me of bias in any direction,” he quipped.
“I grew up watching some great rugby in the 1970s and 1980s, and it’s a real privilege now in what is soon to be 2020 to be able to lead the sport to a bright future,” he added.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
