THE Rugby Football League have confirmed a temporary replacement for departing chief executive Ralph Rimmer.

From Monday, Tony Sutton will serve as interim chief executive until a permanent successor to Rimmer has been found.

Sutton has been the RFL’s chief operating officer since January 2019, having joined the governing body as director of finance and facilities in January 2017, with his previous roles including 30 months as the group finance director of Hull College Group, and before that 13 years with Hull FC.

Rimmer announced in September that he would be leaving the RFL at the end of 2022 alongside fellow executive director Karen Moorhouse.

Robert Hicks – the Super League referee who has been serving as the RFL’s director of operations and legal – will step in as interim company secretary from Monday ahead of Moorhouse’s departure.

RFL chair Simon Johnson said: “This gives the organisation the stability and continuity that it requires whilst we complete the search process for the new permanent CEO of the RFL – which will be followed by the permanent Company Secretary appointment as well as the second Executive Board appointment (in addition to the CEO) to the RFL Board.”