Q&A: Andrew Abdo (NRL chief executive)

May 11, 2026

By STEVE MASCORD

rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads: Andrew, my first really searching and hard question is: how’s the jet lag going?

Andrew Abdo: “No, I’m good, thank you for asking. I’ve had plenty of practice with travel and I’ve been enjoying my time in the UK.”

RLH: So having written a book about 1997, I know that the Australians were kind of blamed for the move to summer 30 years ago. Maurice Lindsay wanted to do it anyway. But now I’m reading the press here that Aussies are going to get blamed for going back to winter. What can you tell us about that? It is still on the table for the English game to go back to winter?

AA: “No, that’s not in any discussions that we’ve been having. Obviously, we’ve been looking at ways in which we can help grow the game here and having a look at the time of year. Sure, it’s a consideration but there are no plans to change it whatsoever at this particular point in time. Certainly, that hasn’t been on our radar at all.

RLH: Have you been surprised while you’ve been here in the UK about the focus on money and also the focus on ‘are you going to steal all our players?’

AA: “Not a surprise. I’ve been reading, obviously, the press and so on. But it’s just not … there seems to be a lot of focus on ‘what’s the deal, what’s the…’ It’s not really an offer. It’s not really like an M&A (mergers and acquisitions). I mean, I come from an M&A background. This is not M&A. This is about a partnership, if it’s going to happen, that is designed to make the sport stronger here. It’s certainly not about recruiting players. You know, the NRL is heavily invested in pathway programs and in New South Wales and Queensland, in New Zealand now as well, we have like a presence directly in New Zealand. And of course, we’re expanding massively in the Pacific over the next 10 years. So, you know, we have a nursery of talent that supports our competition from our region. This is definitely not about talent acquisition. This is about ultimately, if rugby league is going to globalise and get on an even bigger platform than it is at the moment, it makes sense for the two biggest leagues in the world to collaborate and cooperate and for us to want the Super League to be as strong as possible. In fact, recruiting players from other (sports) would be more interesting for us than it would be about us recruiting talent from the UK to Australia. It’s rugby league uniting and working together against all other forms of entertainment and sport, not the other way around.”

RLH: It was interesting that Rhodri (Jones, Rugby League Commercial) said that the way it works from his end is that a majority of club owners would have to agree and also the RFL would have to agree. The old saying that turkeys don’t vote for Christmas, I guess, means that 14 teams, if you’re gonna want the majority of 14 owners to support you, then as far as competition structure goes, those 14 would expect to be involved, at least at the start, wouldn’t they? Am I barking up the wrong tree there? We have to start with a 14 team competition?

AA: “I mean, you’re turning to one of the areas that we need to think about. I mean, we don’t have a predetermined view on exactly what the structure of the teams and the competition looks like. This has been an exercise of listening, learning and understanding the game here, not just at the elite level, but importantly at the pathways level and the grassroots level. And I can see huge synergies in terms of the work, which the combination of competitions working together can unlock. In terms of, you know, types and governance, I mean, we’ve been really clear and consistent all along. If we are going to invest, that we do need to have a change in the governance model. We need to be clear and there needs to be, in our view, you know, an independent body that then acts in the best long term interests of the game overall. Now how the RFL and the existing clubs, what they decide to do and how they get there, it is a matter to them ultimately as as to whether or not we’re going to do something together at that level.”

RLH: Let’s move on to a little. We’re both in London as we’re talking now. Global round and matches in London – I would imagine that you wouldn’t waste an opportunity to investigate that while you’re here. So can you give us any information on that?

AA: “We’ve seen tremendous success with taking both the Super League fixture and an NRL fixture, two NRL fixtures to Las Vegas. It is a absolute winner for us on two ends. One is, it’s a wonderful kickstart to our season for our fans in Australia and New Zealand and the Pacific. And it’s the same here in the UK for the Super League teams and the competition overall. But importantly, it’s about moving into new markets, showcasing our game in new markets and of course, winning new fans. An opportunity to play NRL game in other locations …. London is certainly on that list, is definitely in our plans. And I’ve been looking at stadiums here, been looking at some of the sort of back end considerations that would need to take place. It’s a huge logistical exercise, as you can imagine. And there are a few obstacles to be innovative around overcoming. But I can see our fans, what do we know about NRL fans, they love to travel and I can see them having a wonderful time if we were going to schedule a fixture in London.”

RLH: Can you give us any specifics about the venues you might have visited and where the Global Round might happen next year?

AA: “Yeah, I mean, the concept of a Global Round is a good one but that is, and we’ve always said that, that’s sort of a medium term goal. Obviously, we are … the world is a pretty uncertain place at the moment and there’s a bit of unrest in different parts of the world. So we’re thinking about that and the impact that that has on travel. We are hard at work around looking at what the next launch pad is for us in addition to Vegas, and one of those venues and locations could be London. Nothing’s finalised or confirmed. And we think playing a game in London makes sense for a number of reasons. And we’ve been looking at (a few) stadiums that we think could work depending on whether we play sort of one or two fixtures and how that all works together. But nothing formal to announce or to confir,m just obviously we’re excited at the possibility of playing games here and we think it’ll be good for both competitions in both communities.”

RLH: Another thing Rhodri said was that the NRL or the ARLC would want an input into choosing the commission here if there is going to be one. I know that when the independent commission was formed in Australia that both News and the ARL had to agree. They put up, they couldn’t be involved in clubs for a certain period of time. And I guess maybe some good candidates missed out because it was so stringent. So would it work similarly here? Who would actually be suggesting these possible commissioners?

AA: “That still needs to be worked out. But we’ve been very consistent and clear that if we were to invest capital into an entity here, that we would want some control and reassurance on that entity as any investor would.”

RLH: Right, okay. And France, can you tell us a little bit about France? We know that the clubs there have enormous financial burdens with paying for the incoming teams and all that sort of stuff. And would the ARLC or NRL put staff into France? What are your sort of thoughts about the potential there?

AA: “The potential is huge. And we think that, you know, France has a big role to play both at a competition level, at a club level and at an international level. But it’s going to take some time and it’s going to take a very clear plan and some investment and at all levels in the game, in the pyramid. So, you know, player development and pathways are incredibly important. France is a big country with a lot of talented athletes but then making sure that it’s commercialised appropriately at the elite level. And finding a way in which that can happen in I guess a way that adds value to everyone is really important. Now, we understand the complexity and the challenges of that, but that is definitely something that as a game, we should be focusing on the competitiveness of France and you know, club teams from France, I think is incredibly important “important for the game. But what that looks like and how we support in that regard remains to be seen at this time.”

RLH: If the Super League clubs were not to vote in favour of this but a significant part of the 14 teams still wanted to pursue an opportunity with you, where are we left with them? Would you work directly with clubs who wanted to do something with you, even if the vote goes against you?

AA: “No, look, I’m not going to comment on that now. We’ll deal with that if that scenario eventuates. At the moment, we’re just focused on what’s right for both sets of stakeholders. What’s right for our board, the ARLC and the views of the chairman of ARLC and the commissioners, all ARLC commissioners is incredibly important, and it is for our clubs. So I need to, and we need to, understand whether we can get a deal that’s right for both our clubs and our commission, and of course, very respectfully the RFL and the Super League clubs here, and Rugby League Commercial. It’s a complicated governance structure here, and that’s where our energy and our focus is. At the end of that, if there’s something that we can do together, that’ll be that. If not, then we’ll reassess at that point in time.”

RLH: I’ll ask the next three questions at once. Firstly, here the clubs deal with off-field misdemeanours by players – there’s no integrity unit. So I was going to ask you about whether you see that as a part of the future of a partnership. I was also going to ask you about IMG and where they fit in, and about Deloitte’s and where they fit in. And I was going to ask you about Sport England and how big a hurdle it is as a not-for-profit organisation, a government-funded organisation, to get the government’s approval. So there’s three things there really, integrity unit, IMG and Deloitte’s and Sport England.

AA: “Sure, I’ll get some quick fire replies to your questions. I mean, we’ve seen a huge amount of value in having a centralised integrity unit. It’s not just about reacting to issues or misdemeanours of players. It’s actually also … (the) integrity unit does some wonderful work in assisting and supporting the clubs and the players, dealing with multiple situations and they gather tons of intelligence and they provide education and materials and act as a guide for the game overall. Included in that is of course, you know, salary cap auditing and a number of other elements, including administration of stakeholders, for example, the player agent scheme, etc. So we see value in that, but that’s, you know, not something that we’ve actually had any discussions about. Certainly, though, generally, I think there’s a huge amount of benefit in learning in applying what we’ve invested in essentially and looking at what can be used here. I think it would be one such example, but it’s not something we’ve actually had direct talks on. IMG involvement, well, they have an agreement with Rugby League Commercial and that is between Rugby League Commercial and IMG. So if we were to create a new governance model, then we would need to look at what their role is with that contractually and legally. So I can’t really comment on that at this point in time. And in terms of Sport England, very important stakeholder. And we want to make sure that anything that we’re doing here, as I said right at the start, this is about making the sport stronger, which is about engaging the government and understanding what their needs and goals are and how we could assist with that. And also (we’re) very conscious of the fact that there’s a need to make sure that rugby league is invested in all the way through down to the grassroots. So we might be talking about the Super League competition here, but for us, it’s also about pathways and participation and the government has a key role to play in that, in particular in relation to the goals that they have around education and social programs, etc. So they’re an important stakeholder. And when the time’s right, we’ll definitely be engaging with them more directly, but very respectful of that ecosystem, so to speak, yeah.”

RLH: Here’s another double-barrel question to speed things up. Does Peter come with you next time when you address the clubs? And do the NRL clubs have to approve any investment in Super League?

AA: “Yeah, well, Peter and I have traveled a lot together,and we enjoy traveling together, so no doubt, whenever possible we do travel together. We are fortunate in that we have an independent commission that is given the mandate to the commission to execute against opportunities that are going to help foster and grow the game. But of course, we consult with our clubs and our members, and that is a process that is well established in terms of how we get things done. So their buy-in is critical and we have been keeping them up to date on that.But if we were going to do something more formal, then the competition that is existing at the moment, you know, very successful, very successful Ashes Tour, very successful Las Vegas,and the World Club Challenge, etc … if we were going to take the next step, then we would definitely consult and get the views of our clubs. But ultimately, it’s the commission that makes the call.”

RLH: Let’s talk about TV rights, both in relation to your potential investment in Super League and just generally. So firstly, in relation to the potential investment in Super League, there’s a stagger of one year between the end of their cycle and the end of yours. So what opportunities or hurdles does that create? How would you fill that one year if you did have an agreement? And secondly, as I said, Andrew, very broad brush, are you going to split up the rights between different broadcasters, different platforms? It’s been suggested that by asking potential suitors to value each time slot that that is what you’re planning.

AA: “Yeah, at this stage, there’s no plan to aggregate rights between the Super League and the NRL. Very different markets, very different broadcasters and, as you say, different timeline. And we’re not at that point in time. Maybe we will be in the future, but that’s not something that’s on the horizon at the moment. Our process is underway with the rights that we control. And in terms of, you know, it’s important for us, we’re gonna do the right things by our game. And we fight for rugby league. And for us, creating an opportunity where we can get and understand all the different players in the market, what they can bring to the game, not just in terms of revenue, but also reach and help us connect and find the audience and stay relevant, all of that gets taken into account. And so we’ve asked, you know, potential bidders to provide uswith what they can do for the sport overall. But the exact details of that is certainly commercial in confidence. But, you know, what I’m really comfortable saying is that we want the best possible deal for the sport. And we’ve invited potential bidders to, you know, provide what they can do to help grow the sport.”

RLH: Here’s a question I would have liked to have asked you in October, but we didn’t have time. There’s a lot of other stuff going on. And it’s about South Africa and rugby league. I’d imagine it’ll be close to your heart. The game is close to your heart and you’re from South Africa. I think rugby union runs rugby league in South Africa under the way the government has assigned responsibilities. So do you have a personal interest in rugby league, progressing in South Africa and what sort of things can be done for the game there?

AA: “Yeah, I mean, to be honest, I’m sure it might offer an opportunity down the track, but it’s not something that we focus on right now. There’s athletes in South Africa … and I’m always surprised by the fact that rugby league is not played in more parts of the world given what a wonderful game it is. But South Africa, I think, has a few structural challenges in terms of Rugby League that probably needs to be solved over a period of time. Not so much on our agenda at the moment, but maybe down the track could be something interesting with that. Right now, the game is exploding in Australia, in New Zealand and in the Pacific and our focus is on making sure that we take advantage of that and continue to grow the sport in our region.”

RLH: You’ve mentioned in your interviews that if you can get investment from other people that multiplies what you invest, that that is the ideal scenario. And obviously in Papua New Guinea, that’s a really important part of the Chiefs. So do you already have potential commercial partners who will come with you into the UK market if you can do a deal?

AA: “Oh, I mean, we certainly think that there is a revenue synergy in relation to commercial partners, board of directors, etc. And when you aggregate, there’s always a scale, it’s a parcel thing in any business. And so, you know, with that comes the opportunity to attract maybe new brands into the market. So yes, we’ve thought about that and how that can be brought to life.”

RLH: Does Watch NRL survive regardless of who owns the rights next cycle?

AA: “We want distribution to be even bigger. What that looks like will be based on the responses that we get. Put it this way, there’s not going to be left distribution. It’s just a question of who our partners are in different markets around the world. And so, you know, Watch NRL is an incredibly popular product. And so we’d be looking to enhance it, not to take it away. But that, you know, who we partner with in that regard, remains to be seen.”

RLH: Tony Mestrov has been suggested as a possible CEO of, I think, the new kind of job, which is across different bodies in this country. And do you look at that as a possibility that you would appoint the next CEO of RFL, Rugby League, Commercial, Super League? You know, is that a realistic possibility?

AA: “If, yeah, I mean, I mentioned earlier, if we were going to invest, I made it clear that we would want control. That starts with, you know, obviously the board and then the board appoints the CEO. So at the moment, it’s not really something for me to comment on because we are not, you know, invested in. But if we were, we would definitely want to have, say, via, you know, the board appointments.”

RLH: Paul Caddick from Leeds, He talked about the name that was important to him. Is it going to be NRL North or NRL Europe, or is it going to be World Rugby League? Is it still going to be Super League? Is the name an important thing to you?

AA: “There have been no discussions around changing the name.”

RLH: Right, so it could conceivably remain Super League?

AA: “Yes.”

RLH: And last question, I think this is fitting, given your patience of the last 22 and a half minutes. You and Peter have been, over the years, committed to engaging with legacy media particularly. And you’ve been available, you’ve returned calls, you know, all that sort of stuff. In this country, it’s not so easy to get a comment. We’ve got North Wales at the moment who aren’t paying their bills. They forfeited a game. There’s still been no comment from the RFL. So I just wondered if you could give us an insight into what your philosophy might be in terms of public accountability and accessibility from the media if you do end up doing a deal with Super League.

AA: “I think transparency is incredibly important. I think communication is incredibly important. I think you’ve got to take the fans on the journey with you. So our approach and Peter leads on this front and he and I both have a similar approach in that it’s important for fans and for stakeholders to know what’s going on. So we try and do that as much as possible and obviously have a relatively open channel through to the media because that is our way of connecting with fans. So I think it’s important. We’re not always going to agree on the way things are written or the way things are broadcast, but it’s important to maintain relationships and communicate and wherever possible provide some transparency to your fans and to stay close. It’s really important.”