Rugby writer Liam Del Carme asked SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer about his return to a job he vacated almost 20 years ago.
What were your first impressions of SA Rugby when you took office?
Having helped deliver the British & Irish Lions series, the Rugby World Cup Sevens and then as the administrator at Western Province, I had extensive reacquaintance with the business, but it is different once you are working from the inside.
One major difference is that the standing of the sport and national goodwill towards the Springboks is much deeper and broader than it was 20 years ago.
What is familiar from my previous experience is the continuing challenge of finding a playing and commercial model that generates enough income to feed all the needs of the game in a landscape that is vulnerable to macroeconomic and global events beyond the game's control.
How is being CEO different now to when you last held the job? Has rugby administration moved on or is it a case of the more things change the more they stay the same?
The picture is more complicated now that we are contracted into northern hemisphere as well as southern hemisphere competitions. In the old days, it was just Sanzar, but now there are contracts and relationships with multiple competitions, leagues and nations.
Those nations and competitions, like us, have all been overlaid onto a bedrock of more than a century of amateur rugby and I think it’s probably widely agreed that finding a structure and a calendar to support a professional game, as well as the amateur needs, remains a work in progress.
The standing of the sport and national goodwill towards the Springboks is much deeper and broader than it was 20 years ago
The same applies at home — the evolution from an amateur structure into a professional structure to support the rugby business is ongoing.
What has caused the main delay in concluding an equity partnership deal with CVC Capital Partners? Who is leading SA Rugby’s negotiations and are you part of that?
SA Rugby has never identified which equity partners with whom we may be engaging, but having said that, it’s fair to say that when these conversations started, the word Covid was unknown to the world and SA Rugby was firmly entrenched in the southern hemisphere.
Those two fundamental changes have meant the conversation with the prospective partner has been evolving, with the fact that they had to complete a very thorough due diligence.
As the CEO I am now the operational lead on the conversation, supported by consultants who have been engaged since day one, while Jurie Roux is also providing historical advice.
How close are you to finalising a new date for full membership in the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) and United Rugby Championship (URC)?
There is a clear route into full membership in due course — short-circuiting that process is complicated and expensive. It is a thought process, but whether it is achievable remains to be seen.
How are you settling your dispute with the franchises wanting a greater share in your allocation of TV rights and sponsorship revenue?
Determining share size is a question the members determine themselves — it is not dictated by SA Rugby, just recommended.
There is an ad hoc committee with representatives from all levels of the membership to determine what that recommendation for the funding model for 2024 and beyond will look like, before it goes through the approval channels.
But what must be borne in mind is that in this post-Covid world, our broadcast income no longer increases incrementally each year; it is now subject to the quality of the Springbok opposition and the number of Tests per annum — plus the fact that we still have significant costs to participate in the Vodacom URC and EPCR.
How does Siya Kolisi’s injury affect your marketing around this year’s RWC? Is he more of an asset now or less (from a marketing perspective)?
Obviously, we would much prefer that Siya is fit and ready to lead the team by September, but I am sure he would be the first to say that it’s not about him, it’s about the team.
Playing or not playing, he is an asset and a wonderful ambassador for the Springboks and rugby, but injuries are a part of the game and on- and off-field planning goes ahead, almost without looking back.
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