Stormers statement: New CEO and a new role for John Dobson

Last week’s takeover of Western Province Rugby by the Red Disa Consortium has resulted in the appointment of a new CEO and confirmation of an extended role for Stormers head coach John Dobson. It was last September when clubs in the region initially voted in favour of an equity deal that would take the province out of administration.

The takeover process has now been complete and some leadership changes have been quickly implemented ahead of Saturday’s visit by Ulster to Cape Town to take on the Stormers in the URC.

A club website statement read: “The leadership structure at Western Province Rugby has been refreshed with the appointment of Johan le Roux as chief executive officer and John Dobson as director of rugby.

“Following the conclusion of the recent equity deal, which saw the Red Disa Consortium secure a controlling shareholding last week, there has been swift and decisive action taken to establish a new leadership team to take the company and the DHL Stormers forward.

“Le Roux, who is a major roleplayer in the Red Disa Consortium as head of Fynbos Ekwiteit, will fill the vacant position of CEO with immediate effect. He has already started working in earnest with Dobson and the new board to align the business with the aspirations of the team and their supporters.

“The new CEO will also be assisted by seasoned administrator Rob Wagner, who has been brought in for an interim period to assist with operational aspects of the business and ensure that the execution of the core functions of the company are as effective as possible.

“Dobson’s new position as director of rugby will not change his role within the senior team, but rather see him apply his experience and insights across a wider scope, playing a more central role in contracting and the development of talent through the junior structures.”

“This DHL Stormers team has the potential to be a global rugby powerhouse, given the talent in the region and unrivalled love for the game among its supporters,” said Le Roux. “We want to ensure that the business standards match that of the rugby programme and help propel the team to even greater heights.

“It is crucial that we run a sustainable model which will ensure our strength into the future and we have already made some fairly big steps in this regard in a short space of time. There is every reason to be excited about what the future holds for the DHL Stormers.”

Dobson added: “My love for this team and the rugby people in this region is well-documented and I will continue to put everything I can into making our rugby as strong as possible.

“As director of rugby, I will now be looking more broadly at the rugby environment in our organisation and planning for where we want to go, as well as overseeing the current squad and our mission to make Cape Town smile.”