COLUMN BY JOHN DAVIDSON
Rob Hicks officially left his senior role at the Rugby Football League in February, but has been working behind the scenes at the governing body and with Nigel Wood’s strategic review group for many months.
It’s quite the oddity.
First, a quick recap. Hicks is a former international referee who served as the RFL’s company secretary, as Director of Operations & Legal, and also on its board of directors. He was popular with the Super League clubs and a key man at the governing body.
But then, in September 2024, he was suspended, along with the RFL’s safeguarding manager Kerry Simmons, pending an investigation. Hicks was Simmons’s superior. At the time, all the RFL said was: “Two members of staff were suspended last week, pending investigation into disclosures we have received under our Public Interest Disclosure Policy.”
In this YouTube video, Derek Beaumont, owner of Leigh Leopards, said: “Don’t forget the game’s main regulator, Robert Hicks, was suspended or or… whatever for a relationship with somebody.”
rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads has been shown documentary evidence that an allegation, regarding Simmons being the other party in the relationship, was formally made to the RFL.
Then, in February, rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads broke the news that Simmons had left the RFL. The governing body claimed she had resigned.
A few weeks later, Hicks was also gone. At the time, an RFL spokesperson said: “The RFL and Robert Hicks have mutually agreed his departure from the RFL to enable him to pursue new opportunities away from the governing body.” The spokesperson did not respond to questions about the outcome of the investigation into Hicks and Simmons.
In the same period, upheaval at the RFL rolled on and on. Chairman Simon Johnson quit and other directors followed. A new board was put in place, Nigel Wood returned, and then another new board had to be instated to be compliant with Sport England.
There have been rumours for months, and media reports as well, that Hicks would return to the RFL as part of Wood’s return. It has been reported elsewhere, such as Love Rugby League, that Hicks is a key player in Wood’s strategic review.
The RFL has never publicly confirmed Hicks’ involvement, and it is not hard to figure out why. The reason for his departure was never fully explained.
Weirdly, on July 30, the RFL even tried to claim that there was never an investigation into Hicks (in a response to questions from this platform), despite its prior statement in October that he had been suspended “pending an investigation”, and countless media stories reporting that he had been suspended “pending an investigation” at that time.
Stranger and stranger.
Now we have Tony Sutton, CEO of the RFL, stepping down. It has been suggested that Hicks could become the new CEO, but if not, return to the governing body in an operations role.
At the same time, there has been no clarity or transparency on what has been going on at the RFL for nearly a year, nor what job Hicks has been fulfilling with Wood’s group, nor who or if he has been paid for his work with Wood for many, many months.
A series of questions was put to both Hicks and the RFL by rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads, about his departure from the RFL and his work with the strategic review. Hicks replied with this comment: “For legal reasons there isn’t anything I can say on this matter other than the statement the RFL released when I left.”
An RFL spokesperson told rugbyleaguehub.com Long Reads that the strategic review is not commenting on its use of consultants, and that under the terms of Hicks’ departure in March, the RFL is unable to add to its original statement made then.
Curious and curiouser.
Once again, the fans of UK rugby league deserve better.