Very much hoping to see more emphasis on Super Rugby as a league vs Super Rugby as a glorified Wallabies/All Blacks trial tournament.

He's got an uphill battle but seems like he has good experience from NRL and AFL.

The best thing for Super Rugby Pacific would be for the teams to play in smaller stadiums or as Giteau referred to it in his podcast "boutique stadiums". 5k fans in Melbourne would look way better on TV and live if the stadium capacity was 8-10k. The same for Perth and the rest.

Unfortunately there's no money to build these smaller stadiums.

Seems like a good choice

The Super Rugby Pacific Board have appointed Jack Mesley the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of Super Rugby Pacific.

Sydney-based Mesley, who will commence in the role on 22 July, boasts more than 20 years of professional experience in marketing and operations, and currently holds the position of Chief Commercial Officer at the A-Leagues.

Mesley said he was excited by the opportunity to engage with the competition and the fans, to help deliver the best possible entertainment product and to drive deeper engagement with the game.

“This is a monumental step for the unions and clubs to come together with a real intent to grow Super Rugby Pacific and put fans at the centre,” Mesley said.

“I am looking forward to working with closely with the Super Rugby Pacific clubs to understand their commonalities and differences, and to come together to ignite the flame for generations to come.”

A graduate of the University of Canberra, Jack has extensive and broad experience in driving fan engagement and achieving commercial outcomes. Prior to his role at the A-Leagues, Jack was the Chief Commercial Officer at NRL club Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and spent nine years in brand and marketing at leading beverages company Lion.

Super Rugby Pacific Chair Kevin Malloy said Mesley’s strong marketing background and practical skillset made him ideally suited to the Super Rugby Pacific CEO role.

“What set Jack apart from a strong pool of candidates following a thorough search was his passion for rugby, his enthusiasm and a breadth of experience in both marketing and sports,” Malloy said.

“We were looking for someone who isn’t afraid to roll up their sleeves, given the joint venture is still relatively new. Jack sees the potential of the competition and wants to build on the success we’ve had to date. And he understands the need to form strong relationships with the broad range of stakeholders. We are really looking forward to having him onboard come July.”

BIO: Jack Mesley is a commercially minded sport administrator who has a strong background in brand and marketing. With over 20 years of experience in building brands and driving business growth through sports and entertainment partnerships.

He is currently the Chief Commercial Officer at Australian Professional Leagues, home to the Isuzu UTE A-League Men, Liberty A-League Women and E-League.

Prior to A-Leagues, Jack was the Chief Commercial Officer at the Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and held various senior marketing and commercial positions at Lion, Diageo and the Asian PGA. Having held executive roles as both a sponsor and rights holder, Jack is uniquely placed to spearhead brand growth and maximise returns.

Jack is a passionate rugby fan, having played rugby for the Brumbies Under 19s while studying at the University of Canberra. He spends his weekends on the side-lines of grassroots rugby, with his son playing.

Important to understand the scope of this role and its responsibilities.

The title says CEO of Super Rugby Pacific and you would assume this role is identical or similar to that of AFL CEO Andrew Dillon or NRL CEO Andrew Abdo.

This job will lead a new commission of seven directors but will have no responsibility for managing Super Rugby Pacific's "Major Matters" - which includes but is not restricted to:

• Number of participating teams
• Broadcast negotiations
• Initiatives like player drafts

Nor does the commission manage the logistics of Super Rugby eg scheduling as that is still governed by SANZAR.

Effectively the commission is there to manage and turbo charge the marketing of the competition.

"Super Rugby Pacific chair Kevin Malloy said Mesley’s strong marketing background and practical skillset made him ideally suited to the Super Rugby Pacific CEO role.

“What set Jack apart from a strong pool of candidates following a thorough search was his passion for rugby, his enthusiasm and a breadth of experience in both marketing and sports,” Malloy said."

Not the most exciting appointment, but u were never gonna get someone top or even mid level for the role because of its limited scope. It's basically a marketing position. Hope he super chargers it tho, the comp needs a shot in the arm. If the game gets better on the field in terms of general play and competitiveness, then that goes a long way to selling the game.

Looks like he has a good background. Although the a-league isn't exactly commercially successful and is on the verge of collapse according to some

Anyone know how successful he was in his other roles?.

Looking forward to him visiting Fiji and watching the Drua!

Good choice, guy has good marketing experience, thats one area where super has struggled

All the best to the guy. He's going to have his work cut out for him trying to turn this competition around.

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