The Eagle Impact Rugby Academy (EIRA) is welcomes Chris Line to its Board of Directors, effective immediately. With the continued growth of EIRA, the time to expand the membership of the board to add expertise and new voices and perspectives has come.

An experienced entrepreneur and businessman Chris Line started his first business after leaving the military in his early twenties and successfully floated his main company on the London Stock Exchange before he was 30 years of age. Turning his passion for aviation into a business Chris started and is now is the Chairman of the Helicentre group of companies providing helicopter services and training throughout Europe and USA. In particular Chris’s vision with regard to creating Helicentre’s Academy as one of the world’s foremost training establishments for young professional pilots has been groundbreaking within the industry. Chris started playing rugby at 8 years of age and continues to play into his 50’s. Coming from the Midlands, a hotbed of rugby in the UK, Chris has been involved with rugby all his life and his experience and contacts within the game at all levels in the UK are considerable. After recently moving to the US he continues to follow his passion for rugby through his sons at High School level and is passionate about helping to improve the standard of the game in the US. Through a combination of his knowledge of the game, his corporate expertise and his experience in the evolution of his company’s academy, Chris provides a broad set of skills ideally suited to support EIRA’s continued expansion.

His sentiments are echoed by EIRA Director of Rugby Operations, Salty Thompson, “We are delighted to have Chris join our board. He shares our passion for the game and adds business acumen to further build our brand and optimize the ways in which a private non-profit can impact the growth and excellence of rugby in America."

EIRA founder and Board Chairperson Robin Reid says of the addition of Mr. Line, “Chris shares our passion for rugby and with a similar approach to life and to business he and I have become good friends. I am therefore particularly pleased that he has agreed to join the EIRA board as an advisor and to help us as with several projects as we transition EIRA to the next level on our quest to ‘Close the Gap’. We have made exceptional progress in the last 2 years and, with new programs on the drawing board and new strategic alliances being formed with Chris’ help, the next 2 years hold huge promise for additional growth and further raising the bar. Very exciting times indeed.”