Inside Fourie du Preez’s Journey from Springbok World Cup Winner to Private Equity Investor
- A Springbok World Cup winner has quietly built a second career in private equity after retiring from professional rugby
- The former scrum-half is linked to a firm backed by Patrice Motsepe’s African Rainbow Capital Investments
- His journey from Currie Cup and World Cup glory to boardroom negotiations began while he was still playing at the highest level
Springboks legend and Rugby World Cup-winning scrum-half Fourie du Preez has made a seamless transition from elite rugby to the corporate world, establishing himself as a respected private equity investor.
Source: Getty Images
Du Preez is among several former rugby players who have successfully entered business after retirement. Rugby icons such as Bryan Habana have launched ventures like Paymenow, while former Springboks captain John Smit is involved in a security company that merged with Fidelity Security in 2025.
Du Preez’s business journey began in 2011 when he invested in Fledge Capital. Five years later, in 2016, he joined the private equity firm in a full-time capacity. Since then, he has played a pivotal role in securing and supporting several key transactions for the company.
CAF president Dr Patrice Motsepe, who recently surpassed a net worth of $4 billion, holds a stake in Fledge Capital through African Rainbow Capital Investments (ARCI). The firm has previously held interests in WeBuyCars and the mobile tower business Wireless Africa International ZAR.
PAY ATTENTION: stay informed and follow us on Google News!
Notably, Du Preez’s involvement in business dates back to his playing days, when he represented the Springboks and Japanese club Suntory Sungoliath, balancing professional rugby with early private equity investments.
Source: Getty Images
Fourie du Preez’s decorated rugby career
Born in Pretoria in 1982, Du Preez began his rugby journey at Afrikaanse Hoër Seunskool (Affies), where his talent quickly became evident. He later captained South Africa’s Under-21 team to victory in 2002.
His professional career began with the Blue Bulls in the 2003 Currie Cup, where he quickly cemented his place in the starting line-up. He helped the Bulls win three Currie Cup titles and played a crucial role in their Super Rugby triumphs in 2007, 2009 and 2010.
Du Preez earned his first Springboks cap in 2004 under head coach Jake White, the same year South Africa won the Tri-Nations title and the Freedom Cup against New Zealand at Ellis Park.
Watch the video below:
Fourie du Preez's World Cup pedigree
He was instrumental in South Africa’s 2007 Rugby World Cup triumph and featured again in the 2011 tournament. In 2015, he returned to the squad and assumed leadership responsibilities after Jean de Villiers was ruled out through injury. Although South Africa suffered a shock pool-stage defeat to Japan, the team progressed to the semi-finals, where New Zealand narrowly beat them.
Take a look video below:
In a 2019 interview with SA Rugby magazine, Du Preez credited his father and brother for inspiring his interest in business. He explained that he grew up in a household where both his father and brother were chartered accountants, and that he had begun making private equity investments while still playing rugby. He added that at the start of 2016, he took two months off before joining the private equity firm Fledge Capital full-time, noting that he had been invested in the company since 2011.
Patrice Motsepe defends Morocco hosting tournaments
Briefly News previously reported that CAF President Dr Patrice Motsepe has addressed the controversy surrounding Morocco hosting major tournaments in Africa in recent years.
The North African nation has hosted several events recently, raising questions among football fans and analysts about a perceived preference.
PAY ATTENTION: Follow Briefly News on Twitter and never miss the hottest topics! Find us at @brieflyza!
Source: Briefly News
