The South African Rugby Union (Saru) will be holding elections on Friday. The Mail & Guardian caught up with Mark Alexander, currently Saru deputy president, who will be challenging for the top spot.
What prompted your decision to stand for elections as president of SA Rugby?
There was no clear indication from Regan (Hoskins, the current Saru president) when I made my name available. There was initially an understanding that Regan would not extend his presidency beyond the four-year period, and he was quoted in newspaper articles two years ago confirming this. On making my name available, Regan then indicated he wanted a third term. I’ve served the last two years as deputy president and previously I served the Golden Lions as deputy president. What prompted my interest is I believe I can add value, particularly providing continuity around our restructure and strategic plan, given I played an integral role in the crafting of the new structure and drafting of the new constitution.
There have been reports that you had a gentleman’s agreement with Hoskins that you would not stand for election. Is this true, and if so what brought about the change of heart?
As reflected above, as well as the objections raised by several provinces about him standing a third term. Let’s not forget it was Regan himself who was adamant no president should serve more than two terms. And I agree with him that two years is too short and anything beyond four years is too long.
Some commentators have labelled you a “serial administrator”. What is your background in sports administration?
I served on Nocsa (National Olympic Committee of South Africa) from 1994 to date (the committee has since been renamed Sascoc). I was also a commissioner in the South African Sports Commission, and served the Lions and SA Rugby as deputy president, and I am currently president of my club, Tirfu Raiders.
What do you think you will bring to the position that was missing during Hoskins’s time in charge?
Missing is not an appropriate word because I believe in the last two years Regan and myself have complemented each other well, and there was a major shift in the organisation’s operational structure when compared with the first two years of Regan’s presidency. With the restructuring of SA Rugby and the merging of Saru and SA Rugby, I believe my business acumen, combined with my obvious love for and interest in rugby, is where the value add comes. There will be far greater fiduciary responsibilities in terms of governance, and because we no longer have independent directors involved it is imperative that business principles are applied to the running of our rugby, and I believe I have the necessary experience to make this happen.
What would your response be to suggestions that your involvement in the current administration of rugby in South Africa would make it difficult for you to effect change should you be elected as president?
As I have just said, the dynamic within our administration will evolve because of the restructuring and you aren’t comparing apples with apples.
South African rugby has had one of its most stable, and most successful, periods under Hoskins’s leadership. Why do you think it’s necessary to have a new president, and what will this do for stability of the game?
The stability is not measured by an individual but by the collective, and after Regan’s very testing first two years as president there was a collective decision made that all who served with him in the last two years should be mature in their actions and give the president the necessary support. I believe we all have done this. One must also not make the mistake of thinking that because we don’t hang our washing out to the public, as was often the case in the past, we don’t have issues. We just deal with them in a far more mature way.
Have any of the provincial unions endorsed you as their candidate for the position?
Yes. But for obvious reasons I cannot name them at this stage.
Transformation is still a contentious issue in South African sport, rugby in particular, and there has been criticism that not enough is being done at grassroots level. Do you have a strategy to deal with this issue?
Transformation is integral to our strategic plan and is a constant in our society. It is a way of life and not an event.
You were part of the unsuccessful bids for the 2015 and 2019 Rugby World Cups. What was your role in this process and where do you think our bids came short?
I was chairperson of the bid company and as per the International Rugby Board report on the bid, we had the comprehensive and compelling case. Unfortunately, the ultimate decision was not based on the quality of the bid, but on broadcast deals done, and let’s not forget that the decision was always going to come down to a vote. It is here where we lost it because of our weakened relationship with our Sanzar partners. Neither Australia nor New Zealand voted for us, which was particularly disappointing. But it shows me how much work we at SA Rugby have to do to get this international partnership strong again.
The formation of a sixth Super rugby franchise was one of the key issues that Hoskins campaigned on during his bid for election, but to date nothing much has come of this. Will the Southern Kings ever take part in the competition?
The Eastern Cape is important for South African rugby. It has the largest footprint of black rugby players and it was also the bedrock of the old Sacos/Saru union. Unfortunately, due to big industry pulling out of the Eastern Cape, so too went employment and it had a spiral effect. If Saru is serious about the Eastern Cape, we have to look at resuscitating the region and that would have to be a collective responsibility of rugby, Sascoc, the Department of Sport and Recreation, as well as the Lottery, to resource the area financially and put in place proper support structures. Saru has identified the Kings as a priority and they ultimately will play in Super rugby.
If an agreement cannot be reached on the Kings taking part in the Super 15, what will become of rugby in the region?
I already answered that. I am committed to rugby in the Eastern Cape