Nelson joins London Irish

Chuck Nelson has been appointed as the chief executive to London Irish with effect from from January 1st. Nelson joins London Irish from the finance company State of California where he was investment director and directed the company's business and marketing activities in western Europe. He had previously held positions with Nestle, McKesson Corporation and MGM.

Originally from California, Nelson attended Stanford University and graduated in 1979 with a degree in international relations and received his MBA from Dartmouth College in 1984.

Nelson played rugby from the age of 14, captained Stanford and Dartmouth, two of the leading college sides in the USA, lining out at number eight and lock.

He enthused: "I am very excited at joining rugby at this time. London Irish will be celebrating its centenary in 1998-99 and I am truly honoured to be part of the club's great tradition and passion.

"The current professional era presents important challenges for clubs in every country, but we must be true to the sportsmanship and camaraderie of the game.

"London Irish is an ideal place to fuse the great traditions of rugby with the commercial potential of one of the world's most exciting sports," said Nelson.