Presented at SA Rugby’s Annual General Meeting in Cape Town on Thursday, the organisation’s Annual Financial Statements revealed that nearly a quarter of its total revenue was channelled directly into the Springboks and elite national programmes.
SA Rugby spent a quarter of its total income directly on the #Springboks, #BokWomen, #Blitzboks, #JuniorBoks and other national teams in 2025, according to the Financial Statements, which were presented to member unions at Thursday’s AGM in Cape Town – more here:… pic.twitter.com/F0u8o6kzyT
— Springboks (@Springboks) May 14, 2026
SA Rugby’s revenue climbed from R1.5 billion in 2024 to R2 billion in 2025, a 29% surge powered by booming sponsorships, stronger commercial strategies and match-day ownership of Springbok Tests.
Of that figure, R281 million was invested directly into the Springboks, while a further R221 million flowed into the High-Performance Department, the nerve centre responsible for the Springbok Women, Blitzboks, Junior Springboks and other national teams.
The return on investment was immediate and emphatic.
The Blitzboks lifted the HSBC SVNS World Championship trophy in 2025 before carrying that momentum into 2026. The Junior Springboks stormed to their first World Rugby U20 Championship title in 13 years and added the SANZAAR U20 Rugby Championship crown on Saturday. The Springbok Women also shattered barriers by reaching the Rugby World Cup playoffs for the first time and climbing into the world’s top ten.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzersaid the organisation’s strategic overhaul was beginning to bear fruit.
“With new competitions in the offing, our conversion to shareholder status of the Vodacom United Rugby Championship and a digital transformation strategy to optimise fan engagement and present new commercial opportunities, we know we are firmly on the right track,” said Oberholzer.
“We have reset the business across event delivery, digitization, commercialization, high performance and participation and development over the last two years to build a business platform into the medium and long term.
“Financial sustainability remains an on-going challenge and focus for the global as well as the South African rugby ecosystem, but we believe we are building strong foundations to meet those challenges.”
The High-Performance Department’s expenditure also included operational costs at the Stellenbosch high-performance centre and expanded programmes for national teams. Another R195 million went towards player and referee image rights as well as injury insurance.
Meanwhile, SA Rugby distributed R400 million to its 15 member unions, reinforcing the domestic game from grassroots to elite level.
Commercially, rugby’s popularity in South Africa surged like a rolling maul gathering momentum. Sponsorship revenue leapt 51% from R488 million to R739 million, overtaking broadcast income of R678 million for the first time following a major commercial reset.
Match hosting also delivered fresh gains after SA Rugby took ownership of Springbok Test operations, generating R402 million in revenue despite delivery costs of R213 million.
Retail growth added further muscle with merchandise sales and two new Springbok stores driving royalty revenue to R78 million.
Despite the record turnover, SA Rugby still recorded a pre-tax loss of R40 million, underlining the financial headwinds facing the global rugby economy.
SA Rugby president Mark Alexander remained optimistic about the road ahead.
“SA Rugby has demonstrated its resilience in a challenging operating environment for many years, especially through COVID, and we have taken deliberate steps to future-proof our financial sustainability,” said Alexander.
“Investment in new competitions such as Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry and the Nations Championship, as well as new technology, together with a reset of our commercial programme to strengthen long-term revenue generation and profitability will bear fruit this year.
“A return to sustainable profitability is within reach.”
