He will replace Jaque van de Merwe as the country builds towards next year's World Cup in Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.

SARL chairman Kobus Botha has welcomed the new appointment.

"Derrick comes to us with a wealth of experience as the CEO of several companies and, although he doesn't currently have Rugby League in his background, he does have an excellent understanding of sport and its challenges," he said.

"The Board and I would like to welcome Derrick to the Rugby League fraternity, we offer him our support and wish him the best of luck.

"We would also like to take this opportunity to thank Jaque van de Merwe for his relentless efforts to develop SARL as Board Member, Provincial Chairman of the Gauteng Region and chairman of the TUKS RL Club.

"We wish him all the best for the future."