The Tennis Integrity Unit (TIU) has appointed Ben Rutherford, currently legal counsel and integrity unit manager at World Rugby, as its new senior legal director.
Rutherford has worked at World Rugby since 2010, establishing the organisation’s integrity programme during that time. Prior to this, he has worked as a solicitor and associate at law firm DLA Piper and acted as an associate at the Australian Supreme Court.
“I have had a fantastic eleven years at World Rugby and I’m extremely proud of the work I’ve done there,” Rutherford said. “It is fascinating to be at the start of a new journey in tennis with the formation of the ITIA and I can’t wait to begin.”
Rutherford will join the TIU in December, ahead of its rebranding as the International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) on 1 January 2021. The ITIA will take charge of betting integrity enforcement in tennis in 2021 and add doping to its remit in 2022.
“Ben is a global expert in anti-corruption and anti-doping in sport and has achieved great things within world rugby,” TIU chief executive Jonny Gray said. “We are thrilled that he will be joining us as we start on a new chapter for integrity in sport.”
Last month, the Tennis Integrity Supervisory Board, to which the TIU reports, expanded its legal panel by appointing lawyers Raj Parker, Janie Soublière and Amani Khalifa. In addition, it confirmed the reappointment of Professor Richard McLaren OC, Jane Mulcahy QC, Ian Mill QC and Charles Hollander QC as anti-corruption hearing officers.
