Canada’s Sally Dennis nominated for World Rugby’s Executive Board

Rugby Canada has nominated Sally Dennis for World Rugby’s Executive Board, as announced by World Rugby on Friday.  

Dennis is one of three nominees for the Non-High-Performance Union position. This is one of six available positions on the World Rugby Executive Board, with the election set to take place on November 14, 2024, at the Interim Meeting of Council in Dublin. 

Formerly a prominent lawyer in Vancouver, Dennis was first appointed to Rugby Canada’s board as a general director in 2017, becoming the first female chair of the board in 2021. During her time as chair, Dennis led a successful CEO transition, spearheaded organization culture reform efforts, and oversaw the collaborative development and execution of a new strategic plan.  

She also served as the chair of Rugby Canada’s governance committee, overseeing significant transformational governance reforms that have since improved the effectiveness of Rugby Canada’s board and helped position Rugby Canada for improved financial stability and commercial success. 

Dennis has served on the World Rugby Council as Rugby Canada’s representative since 2023 and has been an active participant on the World Rugby Regulations Committee. In addition to her vast experience as a governance advisor to public and private companies and in the not-for-profit sector, she is also a former director, officer and chair of the governance committee of the Canadian Rugby Foundation and a member of the Rugby Americas North Governance Reform Committee. 

“Sally not only has a wealth of experience in law, business and governance, both in and out of sport, but has demonstrated work ethic, professionalism and leadership that we are confident would advance both World Rugby and Rugby Canada as leading sports organizations on the global stage.” -- Kathleen McGinn, Chair of Rugby Canada 

World Rugby’s full announcement can be found here.