Pro12 Rugby Appoints Dermot Rigley

21 Dec 2016 | tshego

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PRO12 Rugby has announced sports sponsorship and television rights specialist Dermot Rigley as its new commercial director.

Rigley has been recruited from RTÉ, the national television broadcaster in the Republic of Ireland, where he will depart his role as commercial head of sport across TV, Radio and Digital.

The 40-year-old was part of the sports management team at RTÉ that successfully acquired broadcast rights to the Olympics, UEFA Champions League, the FIFA World Cup, the 6 Nations, the European Tour and the GAA Football and Hurling Championships.

During his time with RTÉ Sport, the department recorded an increase in commercial revenue while Rigley also played a role in expanding digital coverage across RTÉ’s online platforms and securing global sports sponsorships.

In addition to his primary responsibilities in sponsorship and securing rights within the senior management group at RTÉ Sport, Rigley has helped to deliver world class live events and implemented structural change at the broadcaster.

Speaking about the appointment Martin Anayi, CEO of PRO12 Rugby, said: “In welcoming Dermot to our expanding team at PRO12 Rugby I would also like to congratulate him for emerging out of a highly competitive and rigorous recruitment process that included candidates from across the UK and Ireland.”

Rigley said: “It’s an exciting time to be joining the team at PRO12 Rugby as the Championship continues to grow and set new standards on and off the pitch. Brands are more committed than ever when it comes to activating their partnerships and engaging with sports fans and from that perspective the Guinness PRO12 has so much to offer.

“The innovative approach taken by Martin and his team makes it especially appealing to go into the broadcast market in 2017 to find the best partners to help tell the stories that make the Guinness PRO12 such a vibrant tournament. Finally, I would like to thank everyone at RTÉ for their hard work and support during my time there. Only the highest standards were accepted at RTÉ Sport and I aim to bring that same approach to my new role with PRO12 Rugby.”