Peter V'Landys: ARLC Chairman and NRL Executive Chairman on the broadcast deal, growth and future of the game

Rugby league is on a roll – due in no small part to the efforts of Peter V’Landys.  Since joining the Australian Rugby League Commission in 2018 and taking up the role of ARLC and NRL Chairman in 2019, he’s got quite the list of achievements.  V’Landys was behind the Las Vegas expansion, the plan to expand the number of teams involved, and most recently, the $5.3 billion broadcast deal.   NRL’s audience has also doubled over the last five years, thanks to the fan-focused changes they made to the game.  “Unfortunately, in a lot of sports they’re very insular, they live in a cocoon and take all the advice off the participants, and the players, and the coaches, etc,” V’Landys told Mike Hosking.   “We wanted to make sure that we accommodated the needs of the fan,” he explained.  And what fans needed, V’Landys says, was less predictable play, the ball in play for longer, and more entertainment.  “And that's exactly what we did.”  “In New Zealand, there’s been substantial growth – a lot of that’s to do, of course, with the Wahs and how good they’re going, but also the fact is the game is a lot more entertaining.”  Speaking of the Warriors, despite Australia’s typical aversion to seeing New Zealand win at anything, V’Landys says they would like to see the Warriors claim the NRL title.  “They deserve it,” he told Hosking.  “They’ve worked really hard to be where they’re at.”  LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.