'It's an honour' - Mayo rugby clubman appointed to Six Nations Council

Castlebar RFC member Gerry Casey has been appointed as an IRFU representative to the Six Nations Council.

A former player with Castlebar RFC, Westport RFC and Ballina RFC, Casey was capped at junior level for Connacht and had the privilege to captain his province, he has long been recognised for his dedication to the development of the game of rugby.

Casey served as Chair of Age Grade Rugby on the Connacht Branch from 2018 to 2021 and was first elected to the IRFU Union Committee for the 2021–22 season. Away from rugby, he is the CEO of Casey Retail Group.

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The Six Nations Council is comprised of representatives from all six unions and federations, along with delegates from Six Nations Rugby. The Council recently elected former France international Abdel Benazzi as its new President for a three-year term.

The Council is responsible for overseeing all sporting, governance, and regulatory matters relating to the Six Nations and its annual Championships.

Commenting on his appointment, Gerry Casey said: “It is an honour to represent the IRFU on the Six Nations Council. Having come through the grassroots game in Connacht, I am proud to bring that experience to the table and help support the continued success of one of the world’s most iconic rugby competitions.”

Casey says, one of the big challenges for rugby federations in Europe will be financial stability: "Broadcasting rights with streaming and everything, the kind of traditional broadcasting isn't as important and isn't getting as big a payout as it used to, so that's a challenge."

All participating rugby federations in the Six Nations have reported losses in recent annual reports. The IRFU for example cut the men's Sevens programme. A controversial move that was criticised at the time which was made to help reduce the budget deficit.

"Player welfare is a challenge as well. Obviously you don't want to flog players to death. We need to get the balance right that it's not detrimental to their health. The number of games that they're playing is acceptable. That would be a key one as well, because you can only do so much.

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