Rugby Africa Chairman Herbert Mensah has been elected as the Regional Association representative on the World Rugby Executive Board following the 2024 Interim Council meeting in Dublin, Ireland.
His election marks a significant milestone, as he joins six elected members alongside World Rugby Chair Brett Robinson and Chief Executive Alan Gilpin.
World Rugby board
The newly constituted board includes representatives from both high-performance and non-high-performance unions. Susan Carty (Ireland) and Jonathan Webb (England) will represent the Northern Hemisphere high-performance unions, while Mark Alexander (South Africa) and Bart Campbell (New Zealand) represent the Southern Hemisphere.
Sally Dennis (Canada) has been appointed for the non-high-performance unions, and Mensah now joins them as the regional association representative for Africa.
Mensah’s career spans multiple sectors as a businessman and sports administrator. Notably, he served as the board chairman of Kumasi Asante Kotoko SC, a premier Ghanaian football club, after being appointed by the Asantehene, Otumfuo Opoku Ware II, in 1999.
During his tenure, he revitalized the club by implementing a five-year strategic plan focused on sponsorships, professional training facilities, and transparent financial management.
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He later contributed to other sporting endeavors, including establishing the SOS network in 2004, which supports management services for grassroots and professional football.
In 2007, he partnered with Prosport International to develop talented players. Mensah’s role in African rugby deepened when he was elected President of Rugby Africa, the continent’s governing body for rugby, in March 2023.
His election marked a historic moment as he became the first Anglophone to hold this position. Mensah’s new role on the World Rugby Executive Board is expected to further bridge African rugby with the global stage, bringing representation and focus to the continent’s development within the sport.
Executive Board vote
High Performance Union (North) (x2)
Susan Carty (Ireland) 46 (elected)
Richard Collier-Keywood (Wales) 24
Jonathan Webb (England) 29 (elected)
High Performance Union (South) (x2)
Mark Alexander (South Africa) 34 (elected)
Bart Campbell (New Zealand) 31 (elected)
John Eales (Australia) 19
Agustín Pichot (Argentina) 18
Non-High-Performance Union (x1)
Sally Dennis (Canada) 28 (elected)
Tuilaepa Dr Sailele Malielegaoi (Samoa) 5
Sebastian Piñeyrúa (Uruguay) 18
Regional Association (x1)
Qais Al-Dhalai (Asia Rugby) 15
Herbert Mensah (Rugby Africa) 21 (elected)
Richard Sapias (Oceania Rugby) 15
Vice-Chair vote
Mark Alexander (South Africa) 15
Susan Carty (Ireland) 14
Jonathan Webb (England) 23 (elected)
