Cardiff Rugby is delighted to appoint Scott Waddington as the club’s new independent chair with immediate effect.
The former chief executive of SA Brains joins the club at a crucial time for professional rugby in Wales and will ensure Cardiff has a strong and clear voice in ongoing discussions about the future structure of the elite game.
He boasts an impressive CV as a Non Executive, having served seven years as the Chair of Transport for Wales and in the business world with a reputation for growing commercial revenues and building strategies with customer and colleagues’ engagement.
Speaking of his appointment, Waddington said:
“It is a real privilege to be joining Cardiff Rugby as their new chair.
“I am looking forward to supporting everyone involved in the club and working together to build a successful future, and in the short term, to contribute positively to the current consultation process with the WRU.
“Cardiff has enormous potential both as a rugby club and as the UK’s fastest growing core city, and I look forward to helping fulfil that.”
Waddington succeeds the Welsh Rugby Union’s Chief Operating Officer Leighton Davies, who was temporarily appointed to the role after the governing body took over ownership of the club in April 2025.
Cardiff Rugby interim managing director Jamie Muir said: “We are really pleased to welcome someone of Scott’s calibre to the role of independent chair at Cardiff Rugby and remain very grateful to Leighton for the contribution he has made
“It was important that we appointed an independent chair, particularly with everything going on in Welsh rugby, and Scott has all the expertise and experience to lead and support us.
“His business acumen is second to none, he has vast experience in strategy, marketing and building brands, and is clearly an astute and inspirational leader.
“We are all now looking forward to working closely with Scott as we work together to secure the future of Cardiff Rugby.”
Waddington will take the lead for the club in the ongoing consultation into the elite professional game in Wales, and continue the process of seeking potential new investors in Cardiff Rugby.
“We are delighted to welcome Scott to the Cardiff Rugby Board as independent chair and look forward to working with him at this pivotal time for the game in Wales,” added WRU Board member and chair of People, Culture and Governance Committee, Alison Thorne
“There’s no doubt Scott will represent the club to the very best of his abilities and that Cardiff Rugby colleagues and supporters have a chair who is determined to act in their very best interests during the vitally important consultation process we are currently undergoing.”
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Mae Rygbi Caerdydd yn falch iawn o benodi Scott Waddington fel cadeirydd annibynnol newydd y clwb. Bydd yn dechrau ar ei waith ar unwaith.
Mae cyn-brif weithredwr SA Brain yn ymuno â’r clwb ar adeg allweddol ym myd rygbi proffesiynol yng Nghymru a bydd yn sicrhau bod gan Gaerdydd lais cryf a chlir yn ystod y trafodaethau am strwythur a dyfodol y gêm elît.
Mae ganddo brofiad sylweddol fel Cyfarwyddwr Anweithredol, ac fe dreuliodd hefyd gyfnod o saith mlynedd fel Cadeirydd Trafnidiaeth Cymru. Mae wedi datblygu enw da i’w hun yn y byd busnes am dyfu buddsoddiadau masnachol ac adeiladu strategaethau – gan gysylltu’n gyson gyda chwsmeriaid a chydweithwyr ar hyd y daith.
Wrth siarad am ei benodiad, dywedodd Scott Waddington:
“Mae’n fraint aruthrol ymuno â Chaerdydd fel eu cadeirydd newydd.
“Rwy’n edrych ymlaen yn fawr at gefnogi pawb sy’n ymwneud â’r clwb gan weithio gyda’n gilydd i adeiladu dyfodol llwyddiannus. Yn y tymor byr rwyf am gyfrannu’n gadarnhaol at broses ymgynghori Undeb Rygbi Cymru sy’n digwydd ar hyn o bryd.
“Mae gan Gaerdydd botensial enfawr fel clwb rygbi ac fel un o’r dinasoedd sy’n tyfu gyflymaf yn y Deyrnas Unedig. Rwy’n edrych ymlaen at fanteisio ar y cyfleoedd cyffrous ddaw yn sgîl hynny.”
Mae Waddington yn olynu Prif Swyddog Gweithredol Undeb Rygbi Cymru, Leighton Davies, gafodd ei benodi dros dro ym mis Ebrill eleni ar ôl i’r corff llywodraethu gymryd perchnogaeth o’r clwb.
Dywedodd rheolwr gyfarwyddwr dros dro Rygbi Caerdydd, Jamie Muir: “Rydym yn falch iawn o groesawu rhywun o safon Scott fel ein cadeirydd annibynnol newydd. Hoffwn hefyd ddiolch i Leighton am ei gyfraniad gwerthfawr dros y misoedd diwethaf.
“Roedd yn bwysig ein bod ni’n penodi cadeirydd annibynnol, yn enwedig gyda phopeth sy’n digwydd ym myd rygbi Cymru ar hyn o bryd. Mae gan Scott yr arbenigedd a’r profiad i’n harwain a’n cefnogi.
“Mae ganddo ddealltwriaeth gampus o’r byd busnes, a phrofiad helaeth o safbwynt cynllunio strategaethau, marchnata ac adeiladu brandiau hefyd. Mae’n amlwg yn arweinydd craff ac ysbrydoledig.
“Rydyn ni i gyd nawr yn edrych ymlaen at weithio’n agos gyda Scott wrth i ni gydweithio i sicrhau a chryfhau dyfodol Rygbi Caerdydd.”
Bydd Waddington yn arwain y clwb yn ystod yr ymgynghoriad sy’n digwydd ar hyn o bryd ynglŷn â’r gêm broffesiynol elît yng Nghymru, gan hefyd barhau â’r broses o chwilio am fuddsoddwyr newydd posibl.
Ychwanegodd Alison Thorne, aelod o Fwrdd Undeb Rygbi Cymru a chadeirydd y Pwyllgor Pobl, Diwylliant a Llywodraethu: “Rydym yn falch iawn o groesawu Scott i Fwrdd Rygbi Caerdydd fel cadeirydd annibynnol ac edrychwn ymlaen at weithio gydag ef ar yr adeg dyngedfennol hon i’r gêm yng Nghymru.
“Does dim amheuaeth y bydd Scott yn cynrychioli’r clwb hyd eithaf ei allu a bod gan staff a chefnogwyr Rygbi Caerdydd gadeirydd sy’n benderfynol o weithredu’n gadarnhaol ar eu rhan yn ystod y broses ymgynghori hanfodol bwysig yr ydym yn ei chynnal ar hyn o bryd.”