Rugby World Cup chief named Olympic Committee sports director

Lausanne (AFP) - Rugby World Cup chief Kit McConnell has been named the International Olympic Committee's new sports director, the IOC said on Wednesday.

A 40-year-old dual citizen of New Zealand and Australia, McConnell has spent a decade with the International Rugby Board and overseen three editions of that sport's top global tournament.

"Mr. McConnell brings great expertise to the IOC in the area of planning, managing and delivering major sporting events," the Olympic body said, also underlining his strong ties with a raft of international sports federations.

McConnell is no stranger to the Olympic world, having served as the IOC's manager of sport operations from 2000 to 2002.

In that role, he was responsible for the coordination of sport planning with the national organising committees of the Olympic Games and ties with international federation.

McConnell was previously the coordinator of all sports planning for the organisers of the 2000 Olympics in Sydney.

He is due to take up his post early next year, succeeding Christophe Dubi, who hails from the IOC's home city of Lausanne.

Dubi, who has been in the job since 2007, has been named executive director of the Olympic Games.