Oregan Hoskins will continue as SARU president for the next four years after being re-elected unopposed.
SARU president re-elected unopposed for next four years
Oregan Hoskins will continue as South African Rugby Union (SARU) president for the next four years after being re-elected unopposed.
Hoskins will be in charge until 2014 as he moves into office for a third term following the withdrawal of his deputy, Mark Alexander, from the race last week.
Following the unveiling of a new leadership structure, he will be joined on a new Executive Council (Exco) by Alexander, who was also re-elected in his post, and vice-president James Stoffberg (Leopards) - the pair winning their seats through an election of the 14 member provinces.
Hoskins said: "These elections were the culmination of a long process of re-structuring and represent a bright new dawn for rugby.
"We have a significantly simplified and streamlined governance structure and now that most of the posts on the Exco have been filled we can really begin to plan for the future."
Members elected
The other members elected on the Exco are Boet Fick from the Blue Bulls, Griqualand West's Dawie Groenewald and Francois Davids of Boland, while the fourth position from the member unions was automatically filled by Dr Jan Marais, the former chairman of the board of SA Rugby who serves for one year before becoming eligible for re-election in March 2011.
The membership is completed by two independent members - who are elected by the Exco - the SARU chief executive, chief financial officer and one sponsors' representative.
One of the independent positions will be filled by former deputy president of the union, Mike Stofile, who was a member of the former SA Rugby board.
Hoskins added: "Rugby has come a long way in the past four years. Back then our game was a byword for poor governance and controversy - what is now SASCOC had even been tasked with taking over our administration.
"We now have stable leadership, we can claim to be one of the best administered of South African sports, we are in a healthy financial position with good financial prospects and, best of all, South African rugby teams have been in dominant form on the field.
"There are on-going challenges around the representative game and the future of rugby in the Eastern Cape but there is also much to look forward to: There are men's and women's Rugby World Cups to be fought and won in the next 18 months, new SANZAR competition structures around the corner and major sponsorship renewals pending.
"South African rugby is enjoying a golden age and we can now look forward with renewed vigour and confidence."
