Leaders in Focus: World Rugby's Alan Gilpin

World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin on reviewing the Rugby World Cup and running a game in the midst of change.

As the tickertape settles on a record-breaking 2023 Rugby World Cup, World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin reviews the tournament – the format, the performance of the Tier 2 nations, the role of technology and the experience in France – and sets out the organisation’s big priorities over the next few years.

In an extended conversation on Leaders in Focus, Gilpin spends time with Leaders’ James Emmett and David Cushnan, at IMG’s London studios, to discuss what a sustainable and smart future for women’s rugby union could look like; player welfare and safety; the influence private equity money might exert over the sport in the coming years; the dynamics at play in the CEO-Chairman relationship within international federations; the boring-but-critical role of committees; and the constant evolution of sports hospitality.

He also reflects on the unique way rugby stirs emotion and how he channels his own emotions as a leader.

Leaders in Focus is produced by Leaders in Sport, in partnership with IMG. The full video version is available here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbxdPzEtr5w&t=909s