Albion opt for new direction with Hannaford
ALI Hannaford insists she will not be fazed by entering rugby’s male-dominated boardrooms after becoming English rugby’s highest ranked female chairman.
The Rugby Paper can reveal Newton Abbott-based businesswomen Hannaford, 55, takes the reins at Plymouth Albion with a remit to revitalise the finances of a club recently described by new owner Bruce Priday as a “basket case”.
Hannaford, whose background lies in the food industry, told TRP: “There weren’t many women in food manufacturing when I started my business in 1988 so being involved in rugby doesn’t faze me.
“A lot of the old boardroom attitudes have diminished and it’s nice to have a woman on the Plymouth board now to balance things up a bit.
“It’s not like I’m going in there to tell people how to play rugby. I love the game and spend lots of time following it, but I wouldn’t presume to give the coaches or players any tips on how to do things.
“My role is to ensure we hit our goals and it’s important for the city of Plymouth that this club is successful. It’s going to be a challenge but I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve done in business and if I can bring that to Albion, that will help.”
The National One side have reverted to part-time status but Hannaford, who will work unpaid, has a 12month plan to ensure a professional future.
She explained:“We have a vision of where we want to be, which is in the Premiership. My focus is on developing income streams to support that.
“We’ll work on sponsorship and running this club as a business. If the rugby side is successful we’ll quickly move ahead with our plans.”
NEALE HARVEY