Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby. Picture: Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images
SA Rugby boss Rian Oberholzer has denied any wrong-doing after a report emerged on Sunday that his son’s company had won a contract to help organise the Springboks’ Test matches against Ireland in Pretoria and Durban in July.
The company is called Access Management and was established in 2009 after Oberholzer’s first stint as SA Rugby boss came to and end in 2003.
According to a report in Sunday paper Rapport, a number of rugby unions apparently feel there is a conflict of interest and that nepotism played a role in Oberholzer’s son’s company getting the deal.
Oberholzer told the publication that Access Management was appointed by World Rugby to help put on the Tests in July and that the company already had a previous record of working with SA Rugby.
Oberholzer left Access Management when he was appointed CEO in 2023, in place of Jurie Roux. His son, Lourens, now runs the company, who previously helped run the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium and put on the tour of the British and Irish Lions in 2021.
“I’ve got nothing to do with the company anymore,” Oberholzer told City Press. “It would be wrong and unethical.”
A spokesperson at SA Rugby told the Sunday publication that with so many tournaments and matches taking place in South Africa over the coming months they had to bring in an outside company (Access Management) to help arrange and organise the events.
The spokesperson admitted a tender process had not been followed but that World Rugby had agreed to Access Management stepping in due to their previous good working relationship in the past.
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