{"id":692988,"date":"2026-05-25T06:44:10","date_gmt":"2026-05-25T06:44:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/692988\/"},"modified":"2026-05-25T06:44:10","modified_gmt":"2026-05-25T06:44:10","slug":"andrew-abdo-to-step-down-as-nrl-ceo-to-lead-tennis-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/692988\/","title":{"rendered":"Andrew Abdo to step down as NRL CEO to lead Tennis Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The Australian Rugby League Commission today announced that Chief Executive Officer Andrew Abdo will step down from his role to take up the position of Chief Executive Officer at Tennis Australia.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Abdo will remain in the role until 15 July 2026 to ensure a smooth transition and the completion of the upcoming Broadcast negotiations with ARLC Chairman Peter V\u2019landys AM.<\/p>\n<p>The ARLC has appointed Chairman Peter V\u2019landys in an executive role until a new CEO is in place ensuring continuity and stability for the game and experienced leadership for the key growth opportunities and expansion of the game.<\/p>\n<p>Mr Abdo said the decision followed careful consideration and comes at a natural inflection point after nearly seven years as CEO.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLeading the NRL has been a privilege and the highlight of my career,\u201d Mr Abdo said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cTogether we have built a strong, innovative and resilient organisation, expanded the reach of the game and positioned it for an exciting future.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cRugby League has given me opportunities I could only have dreamed of, experiences that cannot be compared and I have made friendships for a lifetime. It has been an honour to be part of the rugby league family.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe NRL is in a strong position \u2014 strategically, commercially and in how it is governed.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe game doesn\u2019t stand still, and it shouldn\u2019t. The game means so much to so many and the future of Rugby League has never been more exciting. I look forward to watching that continued success from the outside.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Mr Abdo acknowledged ARLC Chairman Peter V\u2019landys.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeter is a genuine leader and he has backed me from the start. His vision for the future, his loyalty, support, guidance and drive has provided me with both inspiration and confidence.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cPeter is someone you want with you for any challenge or opportunity.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve valued his trust and his willingness to challenge thinking and push the organisation forward. That has shaped both the organisation and me. I value the bond and friendship we have developed over the last 7 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>ARLC Chairman Peter V\u2019landys AM said Mr Abdo had played a critical role in the NRL\u2019s progress.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cNaturally, I\u2019m devastated that Andrew is leaving as he has been one of the best things that has happened to the game,&#8221; he said.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI said when he was appointed that he would be the best NRL CEO ever and he has been. Andrew\u2019s professionalism, conscientiousness and work ethic will be impossible to replace.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI am very sad, however, the opportunity he has been given to run Tennis Australia is a testament to how good he is.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe respect his decision. This is a significant opportunity and one he has earned.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn a personal note, you would not meet a more loyal person than Andrew and I\u2019m very fortunate to have had him as a friend and confidant.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOn behalf of the Commission, I thank Andrew for his contribution and wish him well in the role ahead.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Commission will commence a process to appoint a NRL CEO.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Australian Rugby League Commission today announced that Chief Executive Officer Andrew Abdo will step down from his&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":692989,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[64,63,44],"class_list":["post-692988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-australia","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=692988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/692988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/692989"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=692988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=692988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=692988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}