Six Nations boss confirms he will step down at the end of the tournament

In a statement, Morel informed the Six Nations Board that the end of the 2022/23 season would be the right time to for him to step down “after having ensured a best-in-class transition with his successor”.

“It is an unbelievable privilege to be leading such an organisation as Six Nations Rugby and in particular such a talented group of people. I am immensely proud of the many accomplishments over the last five seasons ranging from successfully completing our Championships during the pandemic, centralising our rights to offer a better experience for our fans around the world, and bringing state-of-the-art partnerships to place rugby on a significant growth trajectory”, said Morel.

“I am at the stage in my life when I want to tackle other personal and professional projects and a Rugby World Cup year is the perfect time to ensure a smooth transition to keep the pace of our rapid transformation. There are several key projects I am focused on delivering before I depart and look forward to the next months ahead”.

Ronan Dunne, Chair of the Board of Six Nations Rugby said: “We have been privileged to have Ben’s wise counsel and steadfast leadership during these past five seasons. He has delivered outstanding performance, whilst establishing a strong and effective organisation and executive leadership team, leaving us well placed to deliver on the next phase of our vision for Six Nations Rugby.”

The process to find a successor is underway with an announcement expected in the New Year.

The Six Nations, as usual, will be available to the UK and Ireland on the BBC. Meanwhile, in the Women’s Six Nations, the partnership with TikTok will continue for another year as the platform looks to build on record-breaking viewership numbers from last year’s Championship.

Rugby fans will be spoilt for choice as the top teams battle it out for the Six Nations crown, and with restrictions lifted the atmosphere at each match will be guaranteed to be special. Six Nations without the fans takes away from the spectacle and we are overjoyed that fans will be packing stadiums across the country. ExpressVPN recently ran a survey on Google Trends examining the popularity of rugby across the UK, and it’s facing stiff competition from golf as being the second most popular sport in the UK. Nail-biting finishes, hard-hitting tackles, and free-flowing rugby at sold-out stadiums will go a great way in boosting the popularity of rugby for fans of all ages.