Sarah Massey Joins Rugby World Cup 2025 Team as MD of LOC

Dark/Light Mode (01/05/23)  Preparations for England’s Rugby World Cup 2025 hosting have reached another significant milestone with the appointment of Sarah Massey as Managing Director of the Local Operating Company (LOC), a joint venture between World Rugby and the RFU.

Sarah’s appointment follows that of Gill Whitehead as Independent Chair of the Board of Directors.

Sarah Massey

“On behalf of the Board, I am delighted to be welcoming Sarah Massey to the Rugby World Cup 2025 team. Attracting someone of Sarah’s calibre, experience, expertise and insights from a host of major sports events is another demonstration of intent for a Rugby World Cup that will be so much more than a world-class event,” said Gill. “As an inspirer, motivator and accelerant, England 2025 will change the game, attracting new fans and participants to the sport, championing equality and changing the game for a new generation of incredible women in rugby.”

Steeped in sport’s leadership, global event strategy and planning experience, Sarah’s impressive track record reflects the ambitions of a tournament that aims to change the game for women and girls in rugby, making the sport more relevant and accessible to new audiences.

Sarah has operated at the top end of sport for more than 30 years in roles across Olympic and Commonwealth Games, rugby, cricket and hockey World Cups as well as international and national sport governing bodies.

Sarah joins the LOC following her role as CEO of the World Athletics Championship Oregon22, an event that smashed broadcast, digital and fan experience records and set high standards for governance, environmental and social sustainability for future editions.

That was preceded by seven years at the International Hockey Federation as Events, Marketing and Strategy Director, at a time which saw exponential growth for the sport, as well as working with the International Tennis Federation leading their business strategy planning and development of their ‘Advantage All’ equality strategy.

With preparations advancing at pace, Sarah joins the organising company this month as a number of key foundational strategies are completed, including the city and venue selection process, ticketing, domestic and international legacy strategy finalisation.

“Rugby has always been a big part of my life and a catalyst for my career in sport. It began working for the Rugby Football Union and led me into working on a transformative Rugby World Cup 1995. It is that same opportunity to change the game, with women and girls at the forefront of World Rugby and RFU’s growth strategies, that really attracted me to this role,” Sarah said. “Working as an unified LOC, in full partnership with World Rugby, the RFU, UK Sport and the host cities, we have the opportunity to achieve something very special, impactful and that will ultimately take the women’s game and rugby more broadly to the next level.”

Rugby pictures: Pictures from 2019 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2018 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2017 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures from 2016 Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens, Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2015, Pictures of the Asia Rugby Sevens Olympic Games Qualifier in Hong Kong, Pictures of Singha Thailand Sevens 2015, Pictures from the 2013 British & Irish Lions Tour in Hong Kong, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2014, Pictures of Hong Kong Sevens 2013, Pictures of Chartis Cup 2012 and Pictures of Cathay Pacific / HSBC Hong Kong Sevens 2012.

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