Alexander celebrates SA Rugby's golden Boks

Today at 10:02 AM

South African rugby is financially the healthiest of the top-tier nations. It is also the only Tier One nation that did not get a government bailout during Covid.

SA Rugby Magazine met with SA Rugby President Mark Alexander to detail the metamorphosis, which has also included two successive World Cup titles for the Springboks on the field of play.

Alexander stepped into the SA Rugby Presidency in 2016 when Regan Hoskins resigned. The Springboks were ranked seventh in the world and had just lost to Italy for the first time.

Commercial interest in the Springboks was at an all-time low. Several sponsors were disillusioned and not interested in the Springboks and this expanded to the professional rugby landscape in South Africa.

The sport's leadership was accused of lacking commitment to transformation, and Absa – as just one example – departed South African rugby after 30 years as the Currie Cup sponsor, having started in 1985 and finished at the end of 2015.

Alexander, who would be elected President in 2018, is into his second term and he admits the Covid experience temporarily paralysed the sport, with the one-billion-rand British & Irish Lions tour projection ultimately delivering one 10th of that because the entire tour was played behind closed doors and devoid of spectators in 2021.

"The experience of Covid on every society was tragic and cruel. In the context of rugby in this country it so nearly put us in a place that would have made it near impossible to recover," said Alexander.

"The comeback from Covid, the financial limitations of the 2021 Lions tour and so much uncertainty post Covid has been miraculous in the outcome, but it has been the result of incredible work from the operational leadership in South African rugby; initially from the outgoing CEO Jurie Roux and then the incoming CEO Rian Oberholzer.

This leadership does not get enough recognition for what it has achieved since those dark days in 2016 and 2017 and for surviving Covid in 2019 and 2020 and being triumphant commercially post Covid."

Alexander, unlike his predecessor, does not seek the headlines and rarely positions himself as the sole authority on South African rugby. When he talks on the field, he references Rassie Erasmus, Jacques Nienaber, the coaches, the Bok management, the players and the inspirational presence of captain Siya Kolisi.

When it comes to the boardroom, he credits his CEO.

He often praises the investment of sponsors who refused to forsake South African rugby, true South African brands, and he speaks of the interest of new sponsorship associations with South African rugby.

The healthy relationship with the government is critical says Alexander, as is the code's commitment to transformation as a way of life and not a public relations exercise.

It is the commercial reality that pleases him the most; what he refers to as the "gold standard" alternatively "the golden ticket" when describing the financial stability and growth within South African rugby.

"We did it tough, but we did it right," said Alexander. "We have been in the news because of the proposed equity investment and there have been many varying and conflicting reports and many different opinions. There has been a lot of misinformation and a lot of misrepresentation of the processes.

"The coverage, in all forms, of the proposed equity deal has done a disservice to what has been achieved within SA Rugby, specifically in the past four years. It has been remarkable.

"For the record, the equity deal is on hold for now and this has been well documented. But to reiterate my earlier point, what has been missing in all the reporting is the commercial success story of SA Rugby over the last five years."

MORE: Experts to probe SA Rugby's finances

Alexander elaborated on the biggest cost being the investment in taking South Africa's four franchises into the northern hemisphere in the shape of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and by extension participation in the Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup, with the latter also including the Cheetahs.

"The investment, as of December 2024, was R1.9 billion. This was our biggest expense because we had to buy our way into the EPCR. The cost was ours for three years, in all things travel, accommodation and operational.

"We will become a permanent member next season and then the investment will show the necessary rewards. This was always going to be acute short-term pain for the financial health and well-being of the sport in this country.

"Our entry into the URC has exceeded every expectation. The Stormers won the title in the first year, South Africa has hosted all three finals, and a South African team has been in each one of those finals. The Sharks also won the Challenge Cup. Public interest is massive, the local derbies are selling out at the stadium and our television numbers, digital and social media are at a high.

"The Springboks are back-to-back World Cup winners, and with 40 minutes of Test match action in a year, fought back from losing the first Test to beat the Lions 2-1 in the most unique of series, and most recently won the current Rugby Championship, beating Australia twice in succession in Australia and the All Blacks on successive Saturdays in South Africa.

"Our Sevens men won bronze at the 2023 Olympics, and there is investment in the national under 20s and women's XVs and 7s teams. Our provincial competitions have also been boosted through ongoing investment and sponsorships.

"I take great pride in what has been achieved, without a government bailout during Covid and without having to make loans. We have no debt, and the forecast for the next three years speaks to the 'golden standard'.

"When I see the reality of all the other Tier One nations, we are the healthiest and financially the strongest in our current position. That story must be told, and the leadership must be commended for getting us to this position."

Alexander expressed his annoyance at what he called "personal agendas" linked to "a spread of misinformation in the media".

"There is a lot of noise, driven by personal agendas, which is unfortunate and short-sighted and is damaging the reputation of a brand that truly reflects what it means to be a South African."

The passion for the country is engrained in the leadership, on and off the field, and Alexander said the players and coaches understood the role sport plays in unifying people in South Africa, in nation building and in social cohesion.

"Our players know each time they take to the field, they represent over 60 million South Africans and they want to create hope and pride in being South African.

"Rugby is marketing our country globally; the exposure places our country high on the international landscape and reflects our resilience and determination as a country. Next year we host a two-month series against the All Blacks in the country that will have a major economic impact on our economy and tourism."

Alexander highlighted sustainability and growth of the organisation to organically meet the ever-changing sports landscape and deliver an e-commerce strategy to secure the future.

"As an organisation, our financial performance over periods 2023/24, and amongst our peers in the world of rugby, was the best. Our performance on and off the field and being a third-world country is exceptional.

"We are aggressively planning our e-commerce strategy to future-proof our organisation. We are looking at opportunities to work closer with our commercial partners in the delivery of our strategy."

Alexander, who is the SANZAR chairperson for the next two years, confirmed the improvement in the relationship with New Zealand, the strength of which is reflected in the historic All Blacks eight-match tour to South Africa in 2026, with the Springboks to tour New Zealand for eight matches in 2030.

"It is the greatest rivalry in the sport. We share seven World Cup titles, and we have had some of the most incredible Test matches against each other, with the 2023 World Cup final in Paris another example of why the rivalry is so revered."

Alexander said that for all the commercial success and boardroom leadership, everything is always made easier if the national team is winning Test matches and winning big tournaments.

"I must commend our rugby department and our national coach (Rassie Erasmus) who has created a healthy player pipeline in conjunction with our schools and member unions. Most countries would love to have such a healthy pipeline of players.

"Our national coach's innovative strategy and tactical planning augur well for our future success on the field. His ability to motivate and bring people together is remarkable. He truly understands his mandate and what it means to be South African."

Alexander acknowledged that the Boks would not win every Test match, but that there was always a longer-term view of the 2027 World Cup in Australia, to every Test squad selection in the next three seasons.

"Rassie has been very clear with his strategic approach, especially when it comes to selection and we know that some Tests may be harder as he builds squad depth for the 2027 World Cup.

"The biggest prize is a successful defence of the World Cup in 2027 and the short term in-season Test planning will always dovetail with the ambition of 2027."

Photo: Sydney Seshibedi/Gallo Images

The post Alexander celebrates SA Rugby’s golden Boks appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.