SA Rugby Drops Blunt Verdict on Gayton McKenzie’s World Cup Dream
- SA Rugby leaders say hosting the Rugby World Cup again is far more complicated than many fans and government officials realise
- Gayton McKenzie wants South Africa to bid for the 2035 tournament despite massive financial and infrastructure concerns
- Mark Alexander and Rian Oberholzer say the costs, stadium upgrades and World Rugby profit demands remain major hurdles
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South Africa’s dream of hosting the Rugby World Cup again has hit a reality check after South African Rugby Union (SARU) president Mark Alexander responded bluntly to Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie’s ambitious plans.
McKenzie recently declared that he would not rest until South Africa hosts another Rugby World Cup for the first time since 1995. However, Alexander made it clear that SARU has not yet committed itself to such a move.
Speaking after SARU’s annual general meeting in Cape Town on Thursday, 14 May 2026, Alexander said the minister was free to express his ambitions, but insisted the governing body had not seriously discussed launching a bid.
“He is the minister; he can say whatever he wants to say,” Alexander said.
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According to Rugby365, Alexander also stressed that hosting the global tournament would require massive financial backing and extensive planning.
Gayton McKenzie pushes for Rugby World Cup return
McKenzie first revealed his intentions during his 2026 Budget Vote Speech events earlier in May.
The Sports, Arts and Culture Minister argued that South Africa deserves to host the tournament again because the Springboks are back-to-back world champions.
Speaking to the media, McKenzie said:
“We have the best players, the best teams, the best World Cup team. We have to host the World Cup. I’m not going to rest until I do that.”
He also explained his funding strategy.
“I’ve already spoken to some sponsors to say: ‘Can you give R200-million, can you give R400-million?’ Then I’m going to government and say: ‘Here’s the R3-billion.’”
McKenzie said SARU had been cautious because the union could not make financial commitments on behalf of the government.
SA Rugby raises concerns over World Cup costs
SARU CEO Rian Oberholzer warned that passion alone would not secure hosting rights. According to KickOff Rugby, Oberholzer said World Rugby’s main priority is revenue generation.
“The World Cup is the only income generator for World Rugby,” Oberholzer explained.
“If we can get the money from government to ensure a US$700-million (about R12.6 billion) profit for World Rugby, then we will talk.”
He added that projections show the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia could generate US$700-million (about R11.6 billion), while the 2031 edition in the United States could bring in US$1-billion (about R16.6 billion).
Oberholzer said South Africa would likely need to guarantee profits of at least US$1.3 billion (about R21.6 billion) to compete for the 2035 hosting rights.
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Stadium upgrades and infrastructure concerns emerge
Alexander and Oberholzer also highlighted concerns over ageing infrastructure.
“The preventative maintenance is not up to speed in the majority of the stadiums,” Oberholzer said.
“They will need to invest a huge amount of money to get the stadiums to a world-class level.”
Alexander added:
“It is not as easy as just putting up a game. It is much bigger than just the game.”
Australia will host the 2027 Rugby World Cup, while the United States will stage the 2031 edition. Countries including Argentina, Spain, Japan and Italy have already shown interest in the 2035 tournament.
The debate now appears set to continue as SARU prepares to engage further with McKenzie over his vision for South African rugby.
SA Rugby’s European future sparks growing concern
Briefly News also reported that Sharks owner Marco Masotti warned SA Rugby that privately funded franchises may stop covering financial losses if South African teams are pulled out of the Investec Champions Cup.
The warning came after SA Rugby admitted that player burnout and heavy travel schedules were becoming serious concerns. Masotti said franchise owners could rethink their involvement if teams are removed from Europe’s biggest club competitions, setting the stage for a major battle over the future of South African rugby.
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Source: Briefly News
