Former New South Wales and Australian Rugby League judiciaries chair and member of the Court of Arbitration for Sport, barrister Alan Sullivan, has been named a commissioner of the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC).

Following a unanimous recommendation from the Commission’s Nomination Committee, Sullivan will likely have a key role in the legal arm of the ARLC, having represented the Commission in many legal matters previously.

Sullivan joins fellow commissioners at the ARLC including Kate Jones, Peter Beattie, Megan Davis, Wayne Pearce, Gary Weiss, and Tony McGrath, all under the lead of ARLC chairman, Peter V’landys.

Discussing the appointment of Sullivan to the ARLC, V’landys said Sullivan will provide great contributions to the growth of the sport in Australia.

“Alan [Sullivan] is not only one of Australia’s most eminent legal minds but he also has the added benefit of having immense corporate knowledge of our game having represented the Commission over a long period of time,” V’landys said.

“This experience will be invaluable and will generate immediate outcomes.

“When you look at the skill matrix of the Commission, the Nominations Committee and the Commission agreed that we would benefit from the addition of a leading legal mind and Alan brings that skillset along with a deep understanding of rugby league and a distinguished career working with multiple sports, both domestically and internationally,” he said.

Sullivan, who has also previously worked on legal matters with Cricket Australia and Football Australia (formerly Football Federation Australia), and previously worked as the FIFA Ethics Committee deputy chair of the Adjudicatory Chamber, will fill the role on the Commission previously offered to NSW Police Commissioner, Mick Fuller, who was stopped from joining the ARLC by former NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian.