CEO of the RFU John Steele

Newly appointed CEO of the RFU John Steele made the keynote speech at the fourth annual Rugby Business Seminar at the Chiswick Moran Hotel the day before the England vs South Africa game, giving a tour d’horizon of the current challenges facing the game in England and globally and conducting an extensive Q&A session with delegates. He was followed by Gary Hetherington, CEO of Leeds Rugby who gave a fascinating insight into the running of the UK’s only dual code professional franchise and the future for co-existence and co-operation between the union and league codes.

As usual seminar founders Lewis Silkin provided a series of extremely valuable working group sessions on immigration, disciplinary and commercial aspects of running professional and amateur rugby clubs, assisted for the final session by Saracens Finance Director Jonathan Hall.

The Seminar, promoted by Lewis Silkin, Rhino Rugby, Pitchero, Campbell Gentry, Sportcal and venue hosts the Chiswick Moran Hotel, continues to go from strength to strength.

For more information - please visit www.rugbybusinessseminar.com

Rhino CEO Reg Clark on the company’s signature Dictator scrum machine at Twickenham

Rugby Expo 2010 yesterday announced rugby’s 20 most influential people following extensive polling ahead of the event and of delegates over two days. Rhino was proud to be represented on the list by both CEO Reg Clark and current England Manager Martin Johnson, who together led the Management Buy-In of Rhino in late 2006.  Kevin Roberts, from Sport Business Group, said, “The list of the top 20 most influential people in rugby has been designed to be a fair reflection of how people feel in the industry about the individuals that make the biggest decisions about the game as it was voted for by some of the biggest names in rugby. The next 12 months in the rugby world is going to be very exciting and we are all looking forward to seeing who makes the list next year. Congratulations to everyone who made the top 20.”

The top 20 in full

1. Bernard Lapasset, IRB
2. Sir Ian McGeechan, Bath and former Scotland and Lions Coach
3. Jonny Wilkinson, Player

Adam Crozier, ITV
Barney Francis, Sky Sports
David Gallop, National Rugby League, Australia
Francois Pienaar
Gareth Thomas, Player
Graham Henry, New Zealand Coach
Greg Peters, SANZAR
John Steele, RFU
Martin Johnson, England
Martin Sneddon, RNZ 2011
Max Guazzini, Owner Stade Francais
Mick Cleary, The Daily Telegraph
Paddy O’Brien, Head of the IRB Referees Board
Reg Clark, Rhino Rugby
Richard Lewis, RFL
Richie McCaw, New Zealand
Stephen Jones, The Sunday Times

Rhino CEO Reg Clark recently visited Jalandhar City in the Punjab to pay a first visit to our key supplier of rugby balls and other miscellaneous equipment, the Sporting Syndicate group. Owned and run by the Kohli family, the group is India’s leading manufacturer of sporting equipment, employing over 400 people. The group’s Majestic Syndicate subsidiary, acquired in 2006 and operated for 36 years by Harjal Raj, comprises the original Indian manufacturing unit for Gilbert rugby balls which are now made elsewhere.

Reg Clark and Sporting Syndicate’s Sales Director Alkesh Kohli had wide ranging discussions concerning future development of Rhino as a force in the global rugby ball market. Sporting Syndicate were responsible for the development and manufacture of Rhino’s range of Official British & Irish Lions 2009 South Africa Tour balls and will be strongly supporting Rhino’s future bids for further major ball contracts.

Reg Clark and Harjal Raj at the Majestic Syndicate factory

Based in Orpington, the brothers play their rugby at London Welsh Minis and were accompanied for the occasion by their father Sabro and friend Kazushi Tomita, both prominent members of London Japanese RFC. They were treated to talks by England coaches and staff and were able to watch the England squad train and meet them afterwards to collect autographs... even inclement weather could not dampen their excitement at meeting their heroes.

Seiji and Shuya meet England Manager Martin Johnson	Together with Kazushi Tomita, captain Lewis Moody