Louis Luyt

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Louis Luyt is a South African business tycoon and politician, and one-time rugby administrator.

He was president of the South African Rugby Union when the Springboks, the national team, won the Rugby World Cup in 1995 at their first attempt after returning to international competition after more than a decade of isolation. At the official dinner for the Springboks and the New Zealand All Blacks, following the former's narrow victory over the latter in the final, in a speech described by the New Zealand media as "boorish", he declared that if they had played, South Africa would have won the previous two Rugby World Cups including the 1987 tournament won by the All Blacks. In response, the All Blacks walked out of the dinner.^[1]^[2]

In 1998, Luyt resigned as rugby union president after being accused of racism and financial mismanagement, and formed a political party.^[3] He was a member of Parliament as leader of the Federal Alliance from 1999.