The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has appointed YouTube executive Tomos Grace as its new chief commercial officer.
He will take up the position in January 2026 and succeed Leighton Davies, who joined the WRU as chief finance officer in March 2024.
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Grace will become a member of the WRU's executive leadership team, which includes chief executive Abi Tierney, and chief executive officer Gavin Marshall.
Cardiff-born Grace will lead all commercial and business strategies of the WRU. He will be responsible for sponsorship, broadcasting, digital rights, “strengthening the connection with fans, communication, and making the most of the potential of [Cardiff's] Principality Stadium.”
The sport media specialist joins the WRU from Google-owned YouTube where he spent over 11 years, leading the company’s content output in sports and entertainment.
Overall, Grace has been with Google – YouTube's owner – for almost 13 years, spending his first three years with the internet giant as strategic partner development manager for sport in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.
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By GlobalDataHe has significant experience in the media rights space, having previously held roles with pan-European sports broadcaster Eurosport and French pay-TV giant Canal Plus.
The WRU has made multiple appointments to its commercial team in recent months. David Ayres joined the body as marketing and communications director in November, while commercial director Dan Gaunt has been in his post since the summer. The pair will both now report to Grace.
The WRU stated that Grace will be “central to the process of ensuring that the Welsh Rugby Union brand and its commercial assets ensure the greatest possible investment.”
Tierney said: “Tomos has global experience of the media world and a deep understanding of Welsh culture. His extensive experience in creating strategic partnerships and digital innovation will create new opportunities for us as a union to grow within the rugby world and beyond.
“As we build a more solid and sustainable future for the game here in Wales, the appointment of Tomos is a clear sign of our ambition to place Welsh rugby at the forefront in terms of commercial and technological developments and opportunities.
“Tomos has all the necessary qualities to lead our new commercial team in the union, which will greatly help us realize our vision for the future of the game here in Wales.”
Grace added: “I have been fortunate to have the experience of working for a number of prominent companies in a number of different countries during my career, but the opportunity to come home and contribute to the revival of Welsh rugby was too tempting for me.
“The national teams of Wales and the Principality Stadium itself offer us a huge commercial opportunity. My absolutely simple and clear aim will be to secure investment for Welsh rugby.
“We will do this by implementing the best practices in the field around the world, by being innovative in our actions and by working together with our partners and the whole rugby family in Wales.”
The WRU claims to have seen an increase in turnover and a 32% improvement in commercial profit, and said it is now “ready to take advantage of new opportunities to innovate and further strengthen the business.”
The governing body has struggled financially for several years, reporting a loss of £11 million ($14.7 million) in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2024, after losing an even greater £18.5 million the year prior, and having accrued a total net debt at the end of that year of £129 million.
Despite this, the WRU recently committed to £40 million of investment into the game in the country from elite level down to grassroots, to be dispensed across five years.
In September, Davies revealed that the organisation is set to refinance close to £30 million of its debt with a pair of new lenders, granting it both a short-term facility of four years and the ability to agree a new long-term debt agreement.
The WRU recently announced plans to cut back on its number of professional teams, aiming to slim down from four to three by 2028.
For now, the current four regional teams will remain in place until 2028, after which the governing body is planning to sanction three equally funded professional teams, one in the west, one in the east, and one in the capital of Cardiff.
Currently, the WRU has four teams, each representing a region of the country and drawing from that catchment area, which compete in the United Rugby Championship (URC) competition: Scarlets (Llanelli), Ospreys (Neath/Swansea), Dragons (Newport/Gwent), and capital-based Cardiff.
All four of these teams will continue in the URC through the end of the 2027-28 campaign, with WRU liable to significant financial penalties if a side were to withdraw before then.
