Ian Metcalfe, the Chair of the Professional Game Board of the Rugby Football Union (RFU) is to become the new Chair of Commonwealth Games England (CGE).

He succeeds Sir Andrew Foster who has held the position since 2007 and led the organisation through the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in 2010 and Glasgow in 2014, where Team England topped the medal table for the first time in 28 years.

Metcalfe, a double Cambridge Rugby Blue, is the former managing partner of Wragge & Co, one of the UK's leading law firms.  He previously played rugby for Sale and Moseley, captaining the latter between 1985 and 1987. He toured New Zealand with England in 1985, playing three times on that tour and also represented the Barbarians four times.

Metcalfe joined the RFU Council in 2006 and has held senior roles since 2007, serving on the Boards of the RFU and of ER 2015, the organising body for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. He has a wide interest in a variety of sports and served on the Committee of Warwickshire County Cricket Club for 23 years, before being made an Honorary Life Member in 2013. He is also a Vice President of Moseley Rugby Club.

Sir Andrew Foster, Chair of Commonwealth Games England, said:

"We are delighted to appoint Ian Metcalfe as the new Chair of Commonwealth Games England. Throughout the rigorous selection process he impressed with his passion for sport, business acumen and clear ideas about how to build our strategy for the coming years.

“I am confident that Ian will continue to create opportunities for our athletes to make their best contribution at the Commonwealth Games as we have just seen in Glasgow, and to build excellent relationships with Sport England, our major partner, who are ensuring that we are well supported at every stage of our development.”

Ian Metcalfe, Chair designate of Commonwealth Games England, said:

"I am honoured to succeed Sir Andrew as Chairman of Commonwealth Games England. I was lucky enough to attend the Glasgow Games in person and saw first-hand the passion that Team England embodies.

“I look forward to leading CGE to the Commonwealth Youth Games in Samoa in 2015 and St Lucia in 2017, and the next Commonwealth Games in the Gold Coast, Australia, in 2018."

Ian's priorities will include participating in the organisation’s Glasgow 2014 review and playing an active role in the appointment of an Interim Chief Executive Officer to succeed Adam Paker who is moving to be Chief Executive at the Amateur Swimming Association in the autumn.