Born in Australia but now a US citizen, Murdoch is a media magnate and the founder, chairman, and chief executive officer of News Corporation. He bankrolls rugby in the southern hemisphere - and has done for years - thanks to big-money broadcasting deals that underpin Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations.

His media empire includes a large shareholding in BSkyB, the home of Sky Sports in the UK, SKY Network Television in New Zealand and Foxtel in Australia as well as a host of newspaper titles around the world. Odds are that if you are watching or reading about the game then Murdoch has had a hand in it somewhere.