SA Rugby boss accused of nepotism over organisation of Springboks v Ireland Tests

SA Rugby boss accused of nepotism over organisation of Springboks v Ireland Tests

Provincial rugby unions in South Africa are allegedly outraged when it was found

that a business run by the son of SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer has been hired to manage

the Springboks’ highly anticipated mid-year Tests against Ireland in July.

Furthermore, the company Access Management Services (AMS) was contracted for the tests at

Lotus Versfeld in Pretoria on July 6 and Kings Park in Durban on July 13 without going through a bidding procedure.

“This is nepotism at its worst,” an anonymous rugby manager from one local union told Afrikaans publication Rapport.

“It’s a major conflict of interests,” added another.

Appointment made following World Rugby’s recommendation.

SA Rugby, on the other hand, insists that the appointment was made in response to a World Rugby proposal and based on a “conflict management framework”.

“[The framework] is designed to avoid potential conflicts and specifically includes independent committees,

while excluding the CEO [Oberholzer],” the governing body stated.

Oberholzer and former SA Rugby managing director Songezo Nayo founded ASM in 2009. Oberholzer was AMS’ managing director at the time,

with Nayo serving as chairperson, and the company’s first focus was on administering the Nelson Mandela Bay stadium in Gqeberha.

Since then, AMS has expanded its operations, organising events such as the 2021 British and Irish Lions visit of South Africa,

the South African Rugby Union’s (SARU) 2023 Rugby World Cup bid, and Tests during the 2017 and 2018 Rugby Championships.

Oberholzer’s son Lourens was named AMS’ chief operating officer in 2017,

his daughter Adriana became the company’s strategy and growth manager in 2023, and Lourens’ wife Anika is the operations manager.

Lourens took over as CEO of AMS in 2022. Oberholzer senior was still the administrator of the ailing WP Rugby Union at the time,

but he joined SA Rugby in 2023 to take over as CEO from Jurie Roux.

Oberholzer previously held the office from 1996 to 2003, and was reappointed last year until at least the end of 2025.

When Rapport challenged him about the accusation of nepotism against him,

the veteran administrator became irritated and stated that there was “nothing sinister” about AMS’ appointment for the Boks’ Test series against Ireland.

I did not appoint AMS to work for SARU. “The company was a service provider to SARU prior to my appointment as CEO,” he stated.

“I have no further involvement with the company; I am not a shareholder, and I receive no financial advantage from it.

It would be wrong and unethical to continue involved.

“I know where the complaints come from and I know they have their own agendas.”

Meanwhile, Lourens referred  all enquiries about AMS to SARU.

A SARU representative informed Rapport that AMS was involved in the organisation of the Springboks’ Tests against Ireland because

they will take place during a particularly busy season for the governing body,

when it will simply not have enough workers to handle everything it offers in 2024.

“AMS was appointed because of its experience and expertise in event delivery and to fill an immediate, short-term need,” he stated.

SARU has a busy schedule

“SARU is responsible for delivering six Test matches and three World Rugby events in 2024 (the World Rugby U20 Championship, WXV, and Cape Town Sevens),

as well as domestic competitions like as the Carling Currie Cup and Youth Weeks, with a two-person operations department.

“There are seven Youth Weeks scheduled from the end of June to early July,

together with the U20 World Cup. SARU will arrange everything, but they need feet on the ground in the Ireland series.”

The spokeswoman noted that there was no tender process used in AMS’ appointment.

“World Rugby worked with AMS when the WXV series [for women’s teams] took place last October in South Africa and

was impressed enough to recommend that the company be used again this year,” he stated.

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