The Sydney Sixers are losing their boss right before the Big Bash summer. Rachael Haynes is stepping down as general manager at the end of this month.
She has been in the job since early 2024. Under her watch, the Sixers’ women made it back to the WBBL finals, and the men finished runners-up in BBL 15 last summer. Not a bad two years.
Why she is going
It is a family call. Her partner, ex-Australia batter Leah Poulton, took a job with the England and Wales Cricket Board as their new head of women’s cricket. So the family is packing up and moving to England.
Haynes said leading the Sixers was “one of the great privileges” of her career, and that leaving was not an easy decision. The club confirmed the news in their official announcement.
Who runs the club now?
Hayden McIntosh steps in as interim GM through both the WBBL and BBL 16 seasons. He will handle the commercial side, while Greg Mail looks after the cricket operations. A permanent boss will not be picked until early next year.
It is an awkward time to change leadership. The Sixers have a new head coach in Matthew Mott and a stacked squad, and they are coming off a final defeat. The men start their BBL 16 campaign in December, and they will not want any off-field noise dragging them down.
Why it matters for BBL 16
The Sixers have been the league’s busiest club this off-season. With Seifert, Jordan and Chohan on board and Mott in charge, everything was lining up nicely. Haynes’ exit will not change the squad, but fans will be watching to see whether the off-field shake-up messes with the club’s momentum.
See the other Tim Seifert move to the Sixers, read about Jafer Chohan’s return to magenta, and check when they play on the BBL 2027 schedule.
Last verified: 22 October 2026.