John Ribot
John Ribot (born John Ribot de Bressac on 3 March 1955) is an Australian sports administrator and former rugby league footballer of the 1970s and 80s.
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Australia 1981-85: 9 Tests - 9t, 2g (34pts)
Queensland 1977-85: 10 games - 3t, 2g (14pts)
New South Wales 1978-81: 2 games - 2t (6pts)
Fortitude Valley
Wests (Brisbane)
Newtown 1978-79: 31 games - 19t, 7g (71pts)
Wests 1980-81: 36 games - 26t, 11g (100pts)
Manly 1982-83: 52 games - 33t (112pts)
Redcliffe
After playing club football in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for Wests and Valleys, Ribot moved south to play in the New South Wales Rugby Football League premiership for the Newtown Jets (1978 and 1979), the Western Suburbs Magpies (1980 in which he was the League's top try-scorer and 1981), the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles (1982 and 1983), and in the Brisbane Rugby League premiership for the Redcliffe Dolphins (1984 and 1985).
Before the introduction of State of Origin selecton rules Ribot represented both Queensland in 1977, then New South Wales in 1978 under the residential criteria. He went on to represent Queensland in 8 State of Origin matches between 1982 and 1985, the Brisbane representative team in 1984 and Australia from 1981 until 1985, playing in 9 test matches, including the 1982 Invincibles tour. Ribot was the winner of the Queensland Rugby League Press Writers' Player of the Year Award in 1985.
He is thus one of the rare foundation Origin representatives whose NSW appearances were bookended by selections for Queensland.
- CEO Brisbane Broncos 1988–1995
- CEO Super League (Australia) 1996 - 1997
- CEO Melbourne Storm 1998–2003
After his retirement from football, he became Queensland Rugby League Development Manager and the first Chief Executive Officer of the Brisbane Broncos. While Ribot's talents as an administrator were reflected in the club's success during the 1990s, he was continually at loggerheads with the New South Wales Rugby League (NSWRL). The turning point was the decision by the NSWRL to sack him from its Premiership Policy Committee in 1993.
Ribot found News Ltd a willing participant in forming an elite, rival competition in the mid-1990s. Leaving his position as the Broncos' Chief Executive, he lead the organisation known as Super League in the war for rugby league in Australia. Ribot partially realised his 'vision' in getting the competition up and running in 1997 then resigned as Super League chief executive on 24 June. He secured the franchise to form a club in Melbourne for the re-united competition in 1998.
While the Melbourne Storm won the 1999 grand final in only its second season in existence, Ribot's single-minded battle for acceptance in an Aussie rules-dominated city saw the Storm part company with premiership-winning coach Chris Anderson in 2001. In 2000 Ribot was awarded the Australian Sports Medal for his contribution to Australia's international standing in rugby league.
In 2004, Ribot extended his sports administration portfolio into soccer, becoming chairman of the Queensland Roar FC.
John Ribot has also served on the board of:
- TAB Queensland
- Victorian Major Events Company
- Rleague's statistics page
- John Ribot at the State of Origin official website.
- John Ribot at the Former Origin Greats website.
- Queensland Representatives at qrl.com.au
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