Oberholzer set to replace Roux as SA Rugby CEO - report

Former rugby boss Rian Oberholzer is reportedly set to replace Jurie Roux as SA Rugby CEO.

According to Afrikaans newspaper Rapport, Oberholzer and SA Rugby president Mark Alexander have come to an agreement for him to become acting CEO, but await the approval of the governing body's executive committee.

It is, however, uncertain how Oberholzer's current role as administrator of Western Province Rugby's affairs will affect his appointment. He was put in charge of WP's affairs by SA Rugby in 2021.

"The process takes time, among other things, because of all the obstacles Mark had to overcome with the appointment," a source told Rapport.

"For example, he first had to organise another meeting of the executive committee for next week to ratify Rian's appointment.

"I am unsure what will happen to Rian's position at WP Rugby Union, where he was appointed by SARU as the administrator. However, the roles shouldn't overlap."

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Oberholzer is an experienced rugby administrator, having served as managing director of the SA Rugby Football Union (Sarfu) as it was then called from 1996 to 2003.

Between 1994 and 1995, he was tournament director for the Rugby World Cup which was hosted in South Africa and served as director of Rugby World Cup Limited between 1999 and 2003.

Roux left SA Rugby in December last year after 12 years of service. Roux's position became untenable after being found, in arbitration and in a further appeal process, to have misappropriated Stellenbosch University funds during his time heading its finance department.