business

Sean Fitzpatrick

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All Black legend, Sean Fitzpatrick, can boast one of rugby's most prolific careers, playing in 121 international matches and holding the record for the most test matches as an All Black captain (51) and most test match victories as a player (74). Sean's career highlights include a Lions Series win in 1993, a 1996 test series triumph in South Africa and winning the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987.

Since ending his playing days Sean has gone on to a buoyant career including rugby punditry for Sky and ITV as well as a regular column for the Sunday Times. Widely acknowledged as being a reputable and level headed pundit of the sport, as chairman of the judging panel, Sean is bound to steer this team to a fair and well considered conclusion.


Bill Calcraft

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As a player Bill was the premiership-winning flanker for Sydney club Manly and represented the Australian Rugby Union team 21 times.  He made three overseas tours for the Wallabies including the 1984 Grand Slam tour of the UK  and the 1986 Bledisloe Cup winning  tour of New Zealand.

Today Calcraft, an Oxford Blue, is Managing Director of the London-based Allianz Renewable Energy Fund which invests and manages operating renewable energy assets around Europe. Bill brings proven success in international business and a unique knowledge of southern hemisphere rugby to the panel.


Simon Crane, Eurosport UK

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Simon is the Managing Director of Eurosport Television Limited, the Pan European Sports Broadcaster operating 4 TV channels and Europe's leading sports website in a Joint Venture with Yahoo!. His background ranges from Tickets.com where he was Managing Director of EMEA for the Major League Baseball Advanced Media owned business for three years. Crane began his career at Bass Brewers as head of sponsorship and moved over to the Coca-Cola Company in 1994 as head of sport and entertainment Europe.

After a stint in America with the Coca-Cola Company Worldwide Sports Group, he returned to the UK as Group Chief Executive of Loftus Road PLC, owner of Queens Park Rangers FC and London Wasps RFC. He then launched a sports management and brand-building agency Brandnation Sports and Entertainment.  Simon in a Non-Executive Director of Infoscreen Networks plc and San Firmin Films Ltd and is married with three children.


Roger Draper, LTA

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Roger Draper is currently the CEO of the LTA having previously served as CEO of Sport England where Roger lead a major review and reorganization of the £500m spent on sport in the UK.

Roger was also involved in the 2012 bid and Team England’s 2006 Commonwealth Games campaign. As an elite athlete, Roger has gained international honours in both rugby league and tennis.


Rebecca Hopkins

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Rebecca’s track record spans over 18 years agency and client side experience, 10 of which have directly been involved in sport. Rebecca has worked on a huge range of projects for numerous clients including the Rugby World Cup, London Bid 2012 and two Olympics.

Having won marketing awards and having created and delivered the inaugural Sports Industry Awards, Rebecca has significant experience of both sides of the judging process. Currently Rebecca is MD of marketing agency, ENS Ltd, which specializes in sport.


Charles Mountifield

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Charles is one of the most respected and experienced agents in the world of rugby. Since becoming Head of World in Motion’s Rugby Division, household names from both codes of rugby have chosen to use his team’s management and marketing skills.

 Charles has advised domestic and international governments on sports policy and has been a consultant on some of the World’s biggest sporting events. He speaks French and German and is an approved and licensed agent for both the Professional Rugby Players’ Association and the Rugby Football League. Charles is currently Chairman of the Association of Rugby Agents.

Nick Bitel

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Nick Bitel has been the Chief Executive of the London Marathon since July 1995 and is also senior partner in Max Bitel Greene LLP, a specialist form of sports lawyers.  As a lawyer, he has acted for a number of leading sports events and organisations including The Wimbledon Championships, Ryder Cup, Cricket World Cup, RFU, PGA European Tour and the ECB.  He was a board member of UK Sport for 6 years and chaired its Major Events Panel.  He is  a  member of the Mayor's Events For London steering group.


Suzi Williams

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For the last four years, Suzi has been Director of Marketing & Brand for BT Group. She led BT's successful bid to become the communications services sponsor of London 2012, and her team now run the marketing and activation of BT's London 2012 partnership, as well as overseeing all marketing, brand and communications activity across the group.

Prior to BT, Suzi counts Procter & Gamble, Orange, the BBC and Capital Radio amongst her previous roles - She helped  launch Procter & Gamble in to the cosmetics & fragrances business, launched the BBC / Discovery joint venture in the UK and Latin America, and yes - launched the Teletubbies on an unsuspecting global audience.


David Moffett

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David Moffett was the Group Chief Executive of the Welsh Rugby Union from 2002 until 2005 and Australia's National Rugby League from 1999 until 2001. Under his command the WRU went from making a loss of £3.7 million in the year he joined, to making a profit of £3.6 million in the year he left. His impressive CV also includes periods as Executive Director of the New South Wales Rugby Union, Chief Executive at the New Zealand Rugby Union and Chief Executive of Sport England in 2002.

The knowledge gained from both codes of rugby on an international scale will bring a wealth of commercial expertise to the judging panel.


Tony Tyler, Cathay Pacific

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As Cathay Pacific’s Chief Executive, Tony is currently based in Hong Kong having previously served in senior roles across the globe since 1977.  In this role Tony is also Chairman of Hong Kong Dragon Airlines Limited, a Director of John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited and Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Company Limited. Tony played rugby at Oxford and remains a life-long rugby fan.


Charles Wijeratna, LOCOG

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Charles is responsible for LOCOG’s commercial negotiations where he is currently putting together sponsorship programmes and merchandising deals. Charles was part of the London 2012 bid company from its inception in 2003 and as the Commercial and Legal Director, he managed all commercial and legal aspects of the bid from set-up through transition to LOCOG.

Charles previously worked in sports television for Sky TV, as a lawyer with Clifford Chance and as an investment banker with Kleinwort Benson.


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