Peter V'landys will leave his position as chief executive of Racing NSW when his current contract expires on November 30, bringing to an end one of the longest tenures in Australian racing administration, Racing NSW announced on Thursday.
V'landys has led Racing NSW since 2004 and is currently on long-service leave from the organisation while focusing on rugby league. On Thursday, the Australian Rugby League Commission formally announced his appointment as the NRL's first executive chairman.
“Naturally, this is a very sad day for me,” V'landys said in a statement released by Racing NSW. “I have put my heart and soul into racing for 22 years. 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.”
Chris Waller was emphatic in his praise, telling The Sydney Morning Herald: “He will go down as one of the best, if not the best, sporting administrators in Australian history.”
One of the most consequential develo...