Former Springbok And Sharks Star Lose R9.3m In French Rugby Club Deal
- A former Springbok fullback and a former Sharks forward say they each invested large sums into a deal to buy a professional rugby club in France
- The deal was fronted by 2007 World Cup winner Johan Roux and facilitated by rugby agent Anthony Johnson, according to a Rapport investigation
- The two players say years of reassurances from Roux never led to repayment, with their combined €500,000 still unrecovered
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Two retired South African rugby players say they are out of pocket by a combined €500,000 which is R9.3 million after investing in a rugby club acquisition in France that was never completed, in a deal linked to 2007 Rugby World Cup winner Johan Roux. The allegations are contained in an investigation published by Rapport, the Afrikaans Sunday newspaper.
The former Springbok fullback and the former Sharks forward, both in their early forties and speaking anonymously but with documentation to support their claims, say they were introduced to the opportunity by rugby agent Anthony Johnson.
Johnson told them that Roux's company, Global Sport Capital, which he runs alongside former coach Rudy Joubert, was seeking investors to assist in purchasing a professional French club. The target shifted from Stade Niçois to Béziers Hérault within weeks, with an Italian entity called Eurokredit Merchant Bank supposedly lined up to help fund the transaction.
What happened with the rugby players investments?
The former Springbok committed €300,000 in July 2021, on the understanding that his capital would be returned within 90 days together with €100,000 in interest. He was also told he would be appointed as a kicking coach should the deal proceed. The funds moved through Johnson's company, Le Cap Sports, before being forwarded to Eurokredit.
On 29 October 2021, the former Sharks forward wired €120,000 to a Polish bank account held by an individual identified as Antonino Pane, described as the head of Eurokredit. He had met Pane only the day before, on a virtual call that both Roux and Johnson attended.
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Roux reportedly told him the money was needed for no more than 30 days and offered a return of €200,000. A loan agreement on Eurokredit letterhead arrived the same day, and the transfer to Pane's account at Alior Bank in Poland went through the following morning.
Years without payment
What followed, according to WhatsApp messages and meeting recordings shared with Rapport, was a succession of explanations that never produced a payout. Roux assured the players in mid-November 2021 that the transaction was on track. By January 2022, a €500 million credit facility at Pekao Bank in Poland was said to be days from being unlocked.
Later that month, Roux cited delays involving Warren Buffett and Charlie Munger. In February 2022, he attributed the freeze to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, claiming it had locked the account holding the players' money. He told Rapport the total funds frozen at Eurokredit stood at between €3 million and €3.5 million, and that he personally had more than €400,000 tied up in the same arrangement.
Five years on, the Béziers deal was never concluded. Neither player has recovered a cent. "Just a heap of empty promises," one of them told Rapport.
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Source: Briefly News
