SA Rugby Invests Half a Billion in National Teams

SA Rugby spent a quarter of its total income directly on the Springboks, Springbok Women, Springboks Sevens, Junior Boks, and other national teams in 2025, according to the Annual Financial Statements presented to member unions at the Annual General Meeting in Cape Town on May 15, 2025.

SA Rugby’s group revenues increased by 29% from R1.5bn in 2024 to R2bn in 2025, with R500m spent directly on the Springboks (R281m) and the High-Performance Department (R221m), encompassing all other national teams. Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby, noted that this investment yielded immediate on-field dividends, reflected in the Springboks' continued success alongside other national teams.

The Blitzboks clinched the HSBC SVNS World Championship in 2025 and extended that success into 2026, while the Junior Springboks secured their first U20 world title in 13 years the same year and won the SANZAAR U20 Rugby Championship title for the first time on Saturday. The Springbok Women also had an impressive year, reaching the play-off stages of the Rugby World Cup for the first time and breaking into the world’s top ten.

These achievements were supported by the newly formed High-Performance Department, which allocated R221m for initiatives including the high-performance centre in Stellenbosch and an expanded playing program. An additional R195m was spent on national team players and referees to secure their image rights for commercial purposes and insure them against injury.

Overall, R400m was invested directly into the 15 member unions to promote the game through distributions. The significant increase in revenues was partly attributed to record sponsorship income, which rose by 51% from R488m to R739m, surpassing broadcast revenues of R678m for the first time. Changes in the Test match hosting model, whereby SA Rugby took control of Springbok matches, also generated R402m in revenues, with a direct match day delivery cost of R213m.

The licensing and merchandise sector saw double-digit growth, with royalty revenue reaching R78m, partly due to the opening of two Springbok stores. Despite the revenue growth, SA Rugby reported a pre-taxation loss of R40m, highlighting ongoing challenges related to long-term solvency and sustainability, as outlined in the annual financial statements presented by all unions worldwide.

Mark Alexander, president of SARU, remarked that SA Rugby had shown resilience amid challenging conditions, particularly through COVID-19, and that steps had been taken to ensure future financial sustainability. Investment in new competitions and technology, alongside a commercial program revamp, is expected to facilitate long-term revenue generation and profitability.

Oberholzer indicated that with new competitions anticipated, the conversion to shareholder status of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship, and efforts to enhance fan engagement through digital transformation, SA Rugby is on a promising trajectory. He emphasized that while financial sustainability is an ongoing challenge, strong foundations are being built to address these issues.