Wil Snape Joins as Executive Director
In June, we announced that Play Rugby USA Founder and CEO, Mark Griffin, had accepted a position with USA Rugby as their new Commercial Director. Since that time, Mark has been working closely with Play Rugby’s Board and Senior Leadership Team on the execution of a succession plan, including the hiring of a new Executive Director.
Following a robust and energizing search, we are extremely excited to announce that Wil Snape, former VP of Business Operations at Atavus, has accepted that role!
Wil brings extensive leadership experience and a proven ability to make good judgments and quick decisions in a fast paced work environment. That experience, combined with his passion for rugby and youth development, makes him uniquely positioned to lead the organization into the future.
“Not only is Wil extremely passionate about Play Rugby’s mission and the sport of rugby itself, but his experience in the areas of business development, operations and strategic planning, is exactly what Play Rugby needs to continue to grow and thrive,” says Greg Sigrist, Play Rugby USA Chairman. “Of the 46 candidates we reviewed, Wil was clearly a stand-out and personally, I am extremely excited to welcome him to lead the team.”
Originally from the UK, Wil played rugby for Northampton Saints and his professional career includes working at NewsCorp and Audible.com, an Amazon Company which brought him to New York in 2011. After working as Head Coach of USA Rugby’s Women’s Junior All Americans, Wil chose to follow his passion and moved to Atavus to help grow their rugby business.
“I am excited about this opportunity and the future of Play Rugby,” says Wil. “I’m ready to build on the incredible foundation that Mark has created, staying true to his vision of creating a better world through rugby, by continuing to deliver rugby programs with youth development at the core. I am acutely aware of the impact rugby had on my life and the opportunities that playing the game has afforded me, and I look forward to extending those same opportunities to America’s youth.”
Wil’s first official day with Play Rugby will be November 1st. He’ll work closely with Mark for the final two months of the year and assume full responsibility for the organization beginning in 2019.
Check out an exclusive interview with Wil and Mark on Rugby Wrap Up here: Play Rugby Executive Director Exclusive Interview