MICHAEL BROWN, one of Australia's leading sporting administrators, has been appointed CEO of the 2017 National Rugby League World Cup. His job will be to help plan and deliver a successful World Cup, which will be hosted jointly by Australia and New Zealand. Brown has more than 20 years experience in the sporting sector, most recently as CEO of the Asian Football Confederation's 2015 Asian Cup Australia. Brown was CEO at the Hawthorn Football Club and GM of Cricket at Cricket Australia. He will take up the role in mid-July (NRL). ... MARK FALVO rejoined Football Federation Australia's management team in a new role as head of int'l affairs & government relations. Falvo had in recent years worked as COO of the Asian Cup's 2015 Local Organizing Committee. Falvo said that domestically his biggest challenges included "working with A-League clubs and the state and territory federations to progress the Whole of Football Plan, which was released in early May" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/15). ... RUBEN GNANALINGAM was named EPL side Queens Park Rangers' co-chairman, to work alongside TONY FERNANDES. Gnanalingam has been a major shareholder since Fernandes became chairman at Loftus Road in '11 (BBC, 6/15). ... Swiss IOC member GIAN-FRANCO KASPER will serve as interim head of umbrella body SportAccord until a new president is elected. MARIUS VIZER resigned as SportAccord president last month. SportAccord said Monday that Kasper "exercises the function of an ad-hoc chairman of the council" until elections are held at an extraordinary general assembly expected to take place in November (AP, 6/15).
COACHES/MANAGERS: MARK WARBURTON has been appointed as Scottish Championship side Rangers' manager on a three-year deal with former club captain DAVID WEIR signing as his assistant. He takes over from interim manager STUART MCCALL, who was "overlooked for the position after a humiliating 6-1 play-off final defeat to Motherwell cost the club their Scottish Premiership return." Warburton has been available since "leaving Brentford at the end of the season" (London GUARDIAN, 6/15). ... The FA of Finland (SPL) said that the national team has sacked coach MIXU PAATELAINEN following a "fourth straight defeat" in its Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Paatelainen "refused to step down after the game, saying the loss was partly due to the country's lack of talent but his contract has now been terminated" (REUTERS, 6/14).
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