PRESIDENT of the Federation of Lesotho Rugby (FLR), Fetang Selialia is the new leader of the recently established Confederation of Southern Africa Rugby Union (COSARU).

He was appointed at COSARU’s maiden executive committee conference held in Cape Town, South Africa last Saturday.  

This makes him the regional rugby body’s inaugural president.

Selialia who was initially contesting for an ordinary member position in the Africa Rugby body dropped out of the race at the 11th hour.

The continental executive committee elective conference was held before the COSARU conference on the same day and venue.

In an interview with Public Eye on Monday, Selialia said: “It was going to be difficult for me to continue contesting for an ordinary member position after English-speaking rugby administrators won most key positions in the Rugby Africa executive committee, including the Presidency and Secretary General.”

“As a result, English-speaking rugby administrators who I was voting with asked me to drop out of the race. I also personally realised that my chances of winning were very slim.”

Ghanaian rugby administrator, Herbert Mensah, was elected the new Rugby Africa President, while South African Rugby Union administrator, Jurie Roux, was re-elected as the continental rugby body Secretary General.    

Both Mensah and Roux are from English-speaking rugby bodies.

Mensah is also the first Rugby Africa English-speaking President since 1986 when the continental rugby mother body was established.

Since its establishment, the rugby body has only been led by French-speaking presidents.

“As a result, the French-speaking countries ensured that their candidates occupied other executive member positions, after realising that this time around, most key positions were won by the English-speaking candidates,” Selialia said.