BREAKING | SA Rugby has a new boss as Oberholzer replaces Roux as interim CEO

Rugby governing body, SA Rugby, on Friday confirmed Rian Oberholzer’s appointment as former CEO Jurie Roux’s successor on an interim basis.

Oberholzer this week confirmed to News24 that SA Rugby approached him about filling the position temporarily, which was reportedly held by current South African Rugby Union (Saru) president Mark Alexander.

The 62-year-old Oberholzer was the South African Rugby Football Union (now SA Rugby) managing director between 1996 and 2003, the position he has now returned to as acting CEO.

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Oberholzer was also the 1995 Rugby World Cup tournament director, the first Sanzar (South Africa New Zealand Australia Rugby) CEO and was instrumental in the establishment of the Super Rugby and Tri-Nations tournaments.

Most recently, he was in the throngs of the politically-charged Cape rugby atmosphere as Western Province Rugby Football Union administrator after SA Rugby placed the union under administration less than 18 months back.

SA Rugby said a replacement for the West Province administrator role would be appointed in due course.

"Oberholzer will take up the [SA Rugby CEO] role immediately and remain in place until permanent appointments are made following a business restructure on the completion of a planned private equity investment," SA Rugby said in their statement.

Roux left the organisation in disgrace at the end of 2022 after he was ordered to repay R37 million in misappropriated University of Stellenbosch funds.

"This is an interim role that required someone able to walk in and hit the ground running," said Alexander.

"The requirements were for an individual who had an excellent understanding of the local rugby landscape as