Former SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux must pay back R37m after running out of legal options

Former SA Rugby CEO Jurie Roux has been ordered to pay back Stellenbosch University R37 million, plus interest, in his long-standing bitter dispute with the institution of higher learning.

This after the Constitutional Court on Thursday dismissed Roux’s application for leave to appeal, leaving him with no other legal options.

ConCourt ruling

“The Constitutional Court has considered the application for leave to appeal and has concluded that it does not engage the jurisdiction of the court. Consequently, leave to appeal must be refused with costs,” the ruling from the court read.

In July last year, Roux’s application for leave to appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein also failed. This came after he fought the Western Cape High Court judgment for him to repay the R37 million.

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In May 2023, Western Cape High Court Justice Vincent Saldanha instructed Roux to pay back the university.

Leading into the 2023 Western Cape High Court case, Roux had already lost two arbitration appeals.

Misappropriation

Roux was found to have misappropriated funds from Stellenbosch University while he headed its finance department.

In 2013, a KPMG audit report found that he manipulated accounting software to transfer university funds between accounts without authorisation.

Jurie Roux parting ways with SA Rugby

Roux parted ways with SA Rugby in January 2023.

Mark Alexander, President of the South African Rugby Union, said Roux left at the end of 2022 by mutual agreement due to speculation about his future.

“Jurie Roux has consistently emphasised his loyalty to the organisation and his desire to do what is in its best interests,” said Alexander.

“I have never doubted Jurie’s commitment to SA Rugby, and this decision was not an easy one for anyone who has worked closely with Jurie for more than a decade – both here and overseas,” said Alexander.

Roux said leading SA Rugby had been a privilege.

“The players talk about leaving the jersey in a better condition than when they first received it, and my only hope is that people will say the same of my contribution in time,” he said.

He was appointed CEO in 2010 and was the longest-serving CEO of a major World Rugby federation.

Recently, Roux has been linked in a consultancy role to help organise the ‘Greatest Rugby Rivalry’ tour between the Springboks and All Blacks in 2026.

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