‘I have put my heart and soul into racing for 22 years’ – Peter V’landys to leave Racing NSW after being appointed to rugby league role

Peter V’landys will leave Racing NSW when his contract expires on November 30, ending a 22-year tenure as the state’s chief racing executive.

It has been confirmed he has been endorsed for the NRL’s inaugural executive chairmanship, combining day-to-day control of the competition with his existing position as chairman of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC). He has chaired the commission since 2019.

The move follows V’landys’ interim spell running the NRL, which began when Andrew Abdo departed for the chief executive’s position at Tennis Australia. V’landys took leave from Racing NSW in July, with chief operating officer Graeme Hinton becoming acting chief executive.

“Naturally, this is a very sad day for me. I have put my heart and soul into racing for 22 years,” V’landys said in the Racing NSW announcement.

“I was just a member of a dedicated team of professionals who were able to generate outstanding outcomes for Racing NSW. As a team, we went from a struggling jurisdiction to a world-leading jurisdiction. I take this opportunity to thank everyone who has been in our team. I will miss them greatly and I wish the industry every success.”

ARLC Commissioner Peter Beattie said V’landys’ ongoing role in rugby league was pivotal to that sport’s success.

“Peter has completely reinvigorated rugby league during his tenure and the Commission is backing him in to grow the game even further,” he said.

“Peter inherited a game with limited reserves and no significant assets, one that had needed an advance from its broadcasters just to pay the Clubs and Players. He consistently put the fan first, and the record audiences and the biggest broadcast deal in Australian sport followed.”

V’landys said: he was honoured have the opportunity to give something back to rugby league.

“Rugby League is the greatest game of all and we are going to take it to the world,” he said.

V’landys became Racing NSW chief executive in 2004. The organisation said initiatives introduced during his tenure had secured $3.5 billion in new funding and generated $375 million in new recurring annual revenue. It also said more than $250 million had been placed in provisions to support future distributions and club sustainability.

Race-fields legislation was central to that funding. It established that wagering operators must pay for using racing’s product and survived legal challenges from corporate bookmakers.

Racing NSW said the model had generated $2 billion since its introduction, with annual fees now exceeding $154 million.

V’landys also campaigned for wagering tax parity and negotiated a NSW racing share of Point of Consumption Tax revenue. Racing NSW attributed $600 million and $400 million respectively to those two measures since their introduction.

NSW Trainers Association chairman Richard Pegum said race-fields legislation would be V’landys’s greatest legacy because it secured a continuing funding stream for the industry.

“His vision, energy and relentless pursuit of opportunities have taken NSW racing to another level, while the strong financial position he leaves the industry in is a testament to his tenure,” Pegum said.

During his tenure, Racing NSW also created The Everest, now a $20 million Group 1, alongside the Golden Eagle and a host of other feature races.

Racing NSW chair Dr Saranne Cooke said V’landys had changed the direction of racing nationally and improved returns for participants.

“Peter V’landys has been, without doubt, the most effective and successful administrator in the history of Australian sport,” Cooke said.

His Racing NSW departure also creates a major appointment during a period of governance scrutiny. Hinton has publicly expressed interest in taking the role permanently.

Separately, the NSW government is considering the findings from the examination of the Thoroughbred Racing Act conducted by Brad Hazzard, the former health minister. This review followed scrutiny after the failed Rosehill sale proposal and examined whether the legislation and existing oversight arrangements remained fit for purpose.

V’landys’ contract with Racing NSW expires November 30, two weeks after he was due to return from his secondment to rugby league.

Meanwhile, the ARLC has established a Governance Oversight Committee to be Chaired by Gary Weiss io ensure compliance of best practice corporate governance.