World Rugby has invited eligible unions to nominate candidates to succeed SA Rugby President Mark Alexander and New Zealand representative Bart Campbell on the World Rugby Executive Board, who are retiring from their positions. The World Rugby Council will elect their successors at its meeting in Dublin on 19 November.
Alexander will step down after serving the maximum cumulative term of eight years, while Campbell is stepping down after six years of service following the conclusion of his mandate on the World Rugby Council as a New Zealand Rugby representative. Both will step down following the November Executive Board meeting ahead of Council.
Together, within the Board, they have helped shape game on and off the field, overseeing record-breaking men’s and women’s Rugby World Cups, the introduction of new international competitions and the development of a bold new World Rugby strategy to drive the sport’s sustainable growth.
Under governance reforms adopted in 2024 to broaden representation, the Executive Board comprises two members from northern hemisphere high-performance unions, two from southern hemisphere high-performance unions, one performance representative, one regional representative, two independent player representatives, four independent directors, the World Rugby Chair and the CEO.
Eligible candidates must therefore be Council members from Australia, Argentina, South Africa and New Zealand. In accordance with the World Rugby Bye-Laws, Unions and Regions are invited to submit nominations for the positions with nominees confirmed by the end of October, following a comprehensive vetting process. The election will be conducted by ballot.
