Saracens announce new Chief Executive Officer

Saracens is delighted to announce the appointment of Ed Coetzee as the club’s new Chief Executive Officer.

Coetzee joins the club following a distinguished career in professional rugby, spanning executive leadership and elite playing experience across South Africa and Europe.

He arrives from French side CA Brive, where he has served as Chief Executive Officer since July 2024. Prior to his move to France, Coetzee spent more than a decade in senior leadership at the Hollywoodbets Sharks, serving as Commercial & Marketing Director before becoming Chief Operating Officer and, ultimately, Chief Executive Officer in 2019.

During his time leading the Durban-based club, he oversaw significant organisational and commercial development while helping shape the strategic direction of one of South Africa’s leading rugby institutions.

Before moving into executive leadership, Coetzee enjoyed a successful professional playing career as a prop. Having come through the ranks at the Sharks, he represented the club for four seasons before moving to France, where he spent six years with Aviron Bayonnais and Biarritz Olympique. Across his career, he made more than 300 professional appearances, gaining invaluable experience in elite rugby environments across both hemispheres.

His unique blend of boardroom leadership and first-hand understanding of the professional game positions him strongly to lead Saracens into its next chapter, as the club continues to build on its proud history and pursue sustained success on and off the field during its 150th year.

Welcoming Coetzee to the club, Dominic Silvester said:

“I am delighted that Eduard will lead the club. Saracens have not rushed into this appointment and have sought out a truly capable, experienced rugby executive. I have known Eduard for more than 10 years and have seen first-hand the tremendous achievements he delivered while at the Hollywoodbets Sharks. Eduard is also well known to our Men’s Director of Rugby, Brendan Venter, as they have worked closely together previously. We have struggled to get some of our previous appointments right, but I am confident that, in Eduard, we have a top-class executive who understands our culture.”

Coetzee, who will join the club ahead of the 2026/27 season, is thrilled to be taking on such an exciting project.

“It is a tremendous honour to join Saracens as Chief Executive Officer. Saracens is a club with a proud history, built on a legacy of excellence, resilience, and innovation. I am excited to work alongside Dominic Silvester and Neil Golding, our Directors of Rugby, Brendan Venter and Alex Austerberry, as well as our players, staff, supporters, and stakeholders as we write the next chapter together.

“My focus is to build on the strong foundations already in place, fostering a culture where high performance, accountability and continuous improvement underpin everything we do. Together, we have the opportunity to shape a future that honours our history while embracing new ambitions. Our goal is not only to achieve sustained success on the field, but to establish Saracens as one of the most admired and respected sporting organisations in the world of rugby.”