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The WRU have announced the appointment of their new chief commercial officer
The Welsh Rugby Union has appointed Tomos Grace as its new chief commercial officer.
The Cardiff-born global sports media executive has previously worked for YouTube and Google and will join the governing body in January. The appointment follows the decision by Leighton Davies, who currently holds the role, to confirm his retirement from the full-time post.
The appointment follows two other pieces of recruitment, with new director of marketing and communications David Ayres and commercial director Dan Gaunt – who both joined the WRU in recent months – set to report to Grace.
“I’ve been lucky in my career to work at large organisations in different countries but the opportunity to come home to contribute to the revival of Welsh rugby makes this an irresistible challenge,” said Grace.
“Whether with the national teams or at Principality Stadium, huge commercial opportunities exist. These have one single, clear objective – investment in Welsh rugby.
“We’ll do this by innovating, by learning from global best practice and by working in partnership with our commercial and rugby stakeholders across Wales. I can’t wait to get started.”
A fluent Welsh, German and French speaker, Grace started his career at Canal+ in France, before moving to Eurosport.
In 2011, he joined the YouTube sport team, rising to head of sport for Europe, Middle-East and Africa. During his time there, he helped bring free-to-air streaming of Champions League finals to the website.
Recently, he has also served as an adviser to the Football Association of Wales.
“Tomos brings world-class expertise and a deep understanding of both global media and Welsh culture,” added WRU chief executive Abi Tierney. “His experience in forging strategic partnerships and driving digital innovation will help us unlock new opportunities for growth across rugby and beyond.
“As we continue to build a sustainable future for the game, his appointment reflects our ambitions to position Welsh rugby at the forefront of commercial and technological advancement.
“Tomos is the ideal fit at the right time to take the helm of a new commercial team at the WRU which will drive our business and help us achieve our ambitions for the game in Wales.
“Finally, may I also pay tribute to Leighton Davies for his outstanding contribution to the business during his time at the Union. He has helped put Welsh rugby back on a sound financial footing and also helped build the significantly enhanced commercial team Tomos will now inherit.”
Davies, who joined the WRU as chief financial officer in March 2024, added: “It has been a privilege to serve Welsh rugby and to help build a solid financial foundation and a clear plan for record turnover in 2026 and future growth beyond.
“Over the past two years we have delivered a major turnaround, secured landmark partnerships such as the new multi-million-pound food and beverage partnership agreement with Aramark which will deliver significant additional investment into Welsh Rugby. We have also built a strong commercial team and with those foundations in place, it’s the right time to pass on the baton for my role on the WRU Executive team.
“I wish Tomos and the WRU well and will continue to be a passionate advocate for Welsh rugby.”
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