Rugby Football League boss Ralph Rimmer apologises for ‘throwaway remark’

Rugby league boss Ralph Rimmer has apologised to the Fijian squad after a “throwaway remark” prompted calls for his resignation.

Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer.

Rugby Football League chief executive Ralph Rimmer has apologised to the Fijian national men’s squad after a “throwaway remark” prompted calls for his immediate resignation.

Rimmer, who has served as the RFL boss since 2018 — the organisation that adminsters rugby league in England, including the UK Super League — was addressing guests at the organisation’s annual awards in Headingley earlier this week when he acknowledged the Fijian squad had arrived in England ahead of the Rugby League World Cup.

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“We don’t think anybody has been arrested yet, do we?” he asked.

“No, we’re all right, so we’re going pretty well then.”

The 56-year-old grinned and laughed after making the comment.

Rimmer, who will step down from his high-paying position in December, issued a grovelling apology soon after.

“I apologise unreservedly for a throwaway remark, which I regretted as soon as I made it,” he said in a statement.

“There was no intention to malign the Fiji squad — in fact the context of the remark was my excitement that their arrival in the country marked the imminence of the World Cup competition, to which they have contributed so significantly and positively since 1995, on and off the field.”

Approaching COB in 🇬🇧 & still no word from @TheRFL about the immediate future of Ralph Rimmer after his shocking 🇫🇯 comments which threaten to overshadow the start of @RLWC2021#RugbyLeague#RFL#EnglishRugbyLeague#RLWC2021#Fiji#InternationalRugbyLeague

— Jason ‘Costo’ Costigan ❤️🏉📺 (@CostoJason) September 30, 2022

Anti-discrimination charity Kick It Out’s head of player engagement Troy Townsend tweeted: “When you believe you are untouchable you basically can say what you want, when you want, how you want, in-front of who you want? I always wonder, what is said behind the scenes if someone is brazen enough to talk in this way publicly.”

Rimmer’s comments come less than three weeks out from the highly-anticipated Rugby League World Cup, which gets underway in England later this month.

England coach Shaun Wane poses with Ralph Rimmer in 2020. Photo by Nathan Stirk/Getty Images

The tournament hasn’t been held since 2017, and with more NRL players than ever deciding to represent their country of heritage, it won’t just be a battle between Australia and New Zealand for the trophy.

“I think every team’s a threat,” Australian winger Josh Addo-Carr told news.com.au last month.

“It’s the same as the NRL competition. Every team you play is hard. There’s passion, there’s reason to play for in a short period of time. You’ve got to be at your best.

“For the boys that are picking their country, I fully support it. It’s who they are, it’s their families they’re representing, it’s a wonderful thing to see and I think it’s great for rugby league.

“As everyone knows Australia and New Zealand have been so dominant for a number of years now. People from different heritages are going to their family’s team, I’m all for it. It’s going to be a fantastic World Cup I think.”