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Julie Harrington, currently the Football
Association’s group operations director, has
been appointed as British Cycling’s new chief
executive officer.
Harrington, who has been responsible
for running both Wembley Stadium and St
George's Park, in addition to women's and
development team games away fromWembley,
has almost 15 years’ experience in senior
leadership roles in a sports environment. She
is also a non-executive director of the British
Horseracing Authority.
She said:“I am thrilled to be asked to lead
British Cycling as it embarks on a new chapter
in its history. This is the right time to be joining
one of this country’s leading governing bodies.
British Cycling already has a fantastic track record
of using elite success to inspire millions of people
to get active by getting on their bikes and is now
setting its sights on new ambitions and a new way
of working.”
Prior to working for the FA, Harrington spent
nine years with the Northern Racing Group as
operations director. Harrington has also worked
in senior marketing roles for blue chip leisure
organisations such as British Airways, Whitbread,
Carlsberg-Tetley and Allied Domecq. Harrington will
start working for British Cycling in May 2017.
BRITISH CYCLING APPOINT EX FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION DIRECTOR AS CEO
Four-time Olympic sprint silver medallist
Frankie Fredericks has stepped down from
roles at the International Olympic committee
and world athletics following allegations of
corruption.
The 49-year old Namibian resigned as head
of a task force at the international athletics
federation and as head of the team evaluating
bids to host the 2024 Olympics.
His decision to leave both
positions comes in the wake
of an IOC ethics commission
investigation into alleged
payments made to him in relation
to the awarding of the 2016
Games to Rio shortly before the
vote in 2009. Fredericks denies
any wrong doing.
IOC OFFICIAL STEPS DOWN OVER ALLEGATIONS OF CORRUPTION
18 to 16 teams, whichmeans the Cheetahs are
safe. While 16 teams would appear to divide
equally into four conferences, this is not possible
because there are five New Zealand teams who
are in no danger of being cut.
16 teams would create the potential for a
competition-wide round robin, with each team
playing each other once but is very expensive
froma travel perspective and would reduce the
number of Australian home derbies. It would
also create the potential for longer tours which
creates a lack of local content.
There is confusion about how a round-
robin style competition would work and
how conferences would be split up to
ensure broadcasters are guaranteed a
quarter-final match in their respective
countries.
According to Cheetahs boss Harold Verster
an Australian teamwill be in the firing line when
the competition is reduced from 18 to 16 teams
for 2018 season.
In the wake of speculation the Cheetahs,
Kings and an Australian teamwould be punted
– given New Zealand went into the SANZAAR
meeting with a 15-teampreference – Verster
spoke confidently that his franchise would be
safe from the chopping block.
"All I can say is that we are safe. I keepmy ear
to the ground," Verster told Netwerk24. "There
is much discussion about the current series and
the format and two teams of South Africa will fall
out and a teamof Australia.
"There was even speculation that we would
return to a Super 12, but my information is that
we are going to be reduced from the current
SUPER RUGBY SET TO CUT TWO FRANCHISES