League Operations Executive – Champ Rugby

Working at the RFU means being part of the ‘bigger picture’ at England Rugby: to be rooted in our purpose, which is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union & develop the sport for future generations. If our purpose resonates with you, and you recognise the value that sport can bring to people’s lives, we’d love to work with you. An opportunity has arisen for a League Operations Executive - Champ Rugby to join our Rugby Events & Competitions / Champ Rugby team.

Job Title : League Operations Executive - Champ Rugby

Department : Rugby Events & Competitions / Champ Rugby

Reports to : Rugby Events & Competitions Manager, with a dotted line report to Head of Champ Rugby

Salary Banding: c. £33,000 - £35,000 per annum

Job Level : Implement

Location : This role is contractually based at Allianz Stadium, offering some flexibility to work from home

Employment Type : Permanent

Working Hours : Full Time role, covering 35 hrs per week

Application Information:

• Please submit an anonymised CV (i.e. please exclude personal details). You do not need to submit a cover letter.
• The closing date for applications 30th October 2026 at 12:00
• Successful candidates will need to be available between 9th - 16th November for a first round interview
• Please note that we reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. We encourage interested candidates to apply as soon as possible.

The Role:

A cross functional role dedicated to Champ Rugby League Operations, the league is the second tier of the men’s domestic game in England, relaunched in 2025.

As part of the Rugby Events & Competitions team work closely with the Rugby Events & Competitions Executive, responsible for the day-to-day competitions management of Champ Rugby, and with the small dedicated Champ Rugby team focusing on the growth of the league. The role will be ‘hands on’ with Champ Rugby clubs to ensure consistent developments are being made across the league and underpins the integrity, relationships, growth and profile of the competition.

With regular face-to-face interactions with Champ Rugby clubs, the role holder will oversee the Minimum Operating Standards (MOS), which underpins the principles across the league, by monitoring progress and making recommendations for further improvements.

The role includes accountability for transparent reporting on Minimum Operating Standards, audits, sanctions and management of non-compliance process, working with the Champ Rugby Board, it’s Sub-Committees, and other RFU teams and the agreed decision-making bodies on compliance.

Responsibilities:

Day-to-day responsibilities will include:

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the auditing of club delivery against the Minimum Operating Standards (MOS) (non-medical) facilitating all parties involved to ensure a transparent, timely and effective process, including the associated risks and management of non-compliance.
• Build proactive relationships with key Champ Rugby Club stakeholders to review, challenge, drive and maintain the development of the MOS improvements and other rugby operations areas, which could include trials and innovations as part of the leagues ‘Proving Ground’ tagline. Communicate developments or changes to all relevant stakeholders in a timely manner to ensure implementation and compliance.
• Develop a range of viable solutions to challenges, and to self-select the most appropriate solution, often in a pressured situation, without advice directly at hand and knowing when to present solutions to other parties for validation and escalation.
• Co-ordinate the Rugby & Operations Sub-Committee of the Champ Rugby Board; and be a member of other Sub-Committees as required, including the Commercial, Marketing and Community Sub-Committee. Provide reports to relevant Sub-Committees and the Champ Rugby Board as required.
• Work closely with the RFU Medical Services team, third party contractors and the Champ Rugby clubs on co-ordination of the operational elements of the Head Injury Assessment process.
• Be a conduit between broadcast production partners and Champ Rugby clubs to support the smooth running and output of live match coverage and ensure that other essential operational requirements are captured and delivered in conjunction with the broadcast production partners and associated stakeholders.
• Support the Champ Rugby team in delivering the end of season play-offs and showcase Final, with a focus on event and match day operations. Plus, other events that may be developed as part of the leagues ongoing growth.
• Support the delivery of non-rugby events including Champ Rugby League Summits, pre-season meetings, dinners.
• Work closely with the Club Office to support existing and prospective Champ Rugby clubs’ readiness in exiting and entering the league, and build relationships with aspirant clubs to support viability and potential transition.
• In-season, be a member of the weekend ‘on call’ team rota provided by Rugby Events & Competitions team which responds to challenges that arise in competition delivery and attend Champ Rugby fixtures on a rota with the Champ Rugby team to support matchday delivery and club relationships.
• Co-ordinate financial administration of operational matters for Champ Rugby and report updates to budget holders and finance controllers.
• Work closely with other RFU teams engaged with Champ Rugby which includes but not limited to Professional Game Match Official Team (PGMOT); Medical Services; Disciplinary; Legal & Governance; Rugby systems; Technical Performance; Finance and Procurement ensuring that teams are engaged as relevant and timelines are maintained to meet internal and wider governance approval processes.
• On occasion, support the Rugby Events and Competitions team in the delivery of international, representative and placement rugby fixtures, and competition administration.
• Actively collaborate with colleagues to contribute to the development and delivery of the current strategic, business and operational plans.
• Act as an ambassador for, and promote the best interests of the RFU, including the promotion of our culture and core values – This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.

Qualifications, Skills & Experience:

The skills and attributes outlined in this description are not exhaustive and we welcome candidates who can bring different relevant experiences to the role.

Essential:

• Understanding (or working knowledge) of rugby union in England and the global eco system.
• Understanding of rugby union participation pathways and competition structures.
• Relationship management experience, preferably in a rugby environment. Strong interpersonal skills required to develop and maintain relationships internally and externally.
• Experience of dealing with multiple stakeholders in a customer service environment, with the ability to deal with conflicts and disputes in a calm and professional manner.
• Confident communicator with experience influencing senior stakeholders.
• Highly self-motivated and able to work under your own direction, and able to input and influence team and league strategy.
• Attention to detail with data management and complex administration.
• Committed to embodying the ethos our culture by using our three core values – Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other – to guide your day-to-day decisions, actions and interactions.
• Committed to actively contributing and building an inclusive culture in your role and day to day behaviours.

Desirable:

• Experience working with or within a National Governing Body or sports league.
• Experience of working on the scope and implementation of Minimum Operating Standards (MOS) and/or other forms of participation in a sporting environment.
• Event and/or project management experience.
• UK driving license holder.
• World Rugby Match Commissioner qualified or equivalent.

Additional Information:

• All role holders must maintain an appropriate standard of confidentiality. Any disclosures of confidential information (including personal information kept on computer or other media) made unlawfully outside the proper course of duty will be treated as a serious disciplinary offence.
• We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to [email protected].
• During your application, we will ask questions about your identity. This information is considered highly confidential and will not be seen by hiring managers. You can find out more about why we ask these questions here.

About England Rugby

England Rugby or Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the national governing body for rugby in England. We deliver three core activities, and our purpose is to enrich lives, introduce more people to rugby union and develop the sport for future generations.

Our core activities are:

• Rugby – supporting rugby from grassroots to performance level
• Commercial – building partnerships and hosting matches and events
• Running the business - ensuring our organization and people can thrive

Our Culture

At England Rugby, one of our core objectives is to drive rugby union to better reflect the diversity of society. We are aware that rugby, and sports in general, has not always been as welcoming an environment for everyone as we would like, and we are working hard to make rugby a more inclusive space for all identities.

We believe hiring people from underrepresented groups into positions at all levels is vital to creating spaces and initiatives that better support those identities. We would love to see applications from disabled people, LGBTQIA+ people, people from ethnically diverse communities, people of faith, people from lower socio-economic backgrounds, and women and non-binary people.

We know that representation is more than just getting people through the door, it’s about keeping people by responding to structural barriers relating to identities and valuing the insights that different lived experiences bring. We have network groups that provide peer-to-peer support and drive forward change internally. We support colleagues to develop, and each colleague has access to a personal coaching platform that can provide same-day one-to-one coaching. We are pushing ourselves to create a more inclusive culture every day through role modelling our culture and core values; This Rose Means Everyone: Put The Team First, Shape The Future, Respect Each Other.

We know that flexible working is important to our colleagues, so our guiding principles are designed to support everyone to work in the way that suits them, their teams, and the organisation in the best way.

We want you to have every opportunity to demonstrate your skills, ability and potential. If there is anything we could do to support you through your application or to provide the best environment for your interviews, including assistance or adjustment, please reach out to [email protected].

What we can offer you

We are proud of the range of benefits we can provide:

• A variety of corporate discounts
• Priority access to purchase match tickets
• 25% discount in Rugby Store and EnglandRugby.com
• 25 days of annual leave
• Your birthday day off
• Free access to the stadium gym
• Life assurance of 4x your basic salary, income protection scheme and Employee Assistance Programme that offers anonymous and confidential, emotional and practical support 24/7
• Pension Scheme; the RFU will double match your individual contribution up to 10% of salary

Ride-to-work scheme, eyecare vouchers, season ticket loans and so much more. If you would like to find out more about our diversity and inclusion work or the culture at England Rugby, please visit our website here: https://www.englandrugby.com/about-rfu/rfu-policies/diversity-and-inclusion/our-approach