MONEY OWED: Springboks-All Blacks Greatest Rivalry Test ticket fiasco grows into wider R48m claim

A letter of demand sent on behalf of Leisure Connexion and its managing director Adelbert Retief has identified the supplier they claim failed to deliver tickets for the Springboks-All Blacks Test in Cape Town.

The company is now threatening civil and criminal action to recover about R48-million in refunds and damages.

The demands stem from the sold-out Springboks clash against the All Blacks on 29 August when hundreds of rugby tickets thought to be bought and sold months in advance never materialised.

This left travel agencies and hospitality providers, as well as supporters, scrambling for answers. Numerous companies, including SportPro, Steadfast Africa, C Sports International, Tour d’Afrique and more, had purchased tickets from external suppliers, but they never arrived. 

One of the suppliers was Leisure Connexion and Retief, who in turn said he relied on a third-party supplier that allegedly failed to deliver.  

At the time, that supplier was not publicly identified. 

However, documents seen by Daily Maverick identify Adriaan Pieterse as the supplier from whom Leisure Connexion sourced the tickets.

In a letter sent to the affected companies on 28 September by Jurgens Bekker Attorneys on behalf of Leisure Connexion and Retief, Pieterse is described as the next link in the supply chain.

The letter states that Leisure Connexion “had previously supplied tickets successfully” through Pieterse and had been attempting for more than a month to recover funds paid to him.

However, the supply chain appears not to end with Pieterse. Another person, Dennis Bay, who is purportedly linked to New Zealand Rugby, is alleged to be the person from whom Pieterse bought tickets.

However, the letter explicitly stated that the attorney, Colin Isherwood from Jurgens Bekker, was unable to verify that information.

In emailed responses to questions from Daily Maverick, Pieterse has denied any wrongdoing and dismissed the allegations.

Attached to the letter sent to affected clients was a letter of demand issued to Pieterse on 18 September, seeking reimbursement from Pieterse so that it could refund agencies and clients who paid for tickets that were never delivered.

The demand gave Pieterse until 25 September to comply. However, according to the letter to clients, attempts to secure repayment from Pieterse were unsuccessful. 

As a result, Leisure Connexion has threatened to lay criminal charges against Pieterse, alleging he defrauded the company.

“It has become abundantly clear that Pieterse has no intention of refunding our clients and as such our clients have been left with no choice but to sue Pieterse in order to recover the monies paid to him by our clients,” the letter to the affected companies states.

Mammoth claim goes beyond Greatest Rivalry tour

The demand is seeking R48,474,092.35 in refunds and damages from Pieterse for tickets not delivered for several sporting events beyond the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry tour.

It also includes future bookings.

According to the letter of demand, Leisure Connexion paid for tickets and hospitality products for multiple events across 2025 and 2026, including three Springbok Tests separate from the Greatest Rivalry, the Masters Golf tournament at Augusta National, the Fifa World Cup, the Nations Cup, Uefa Champions League and Wimbledon. 

“Our clients made various payments to Pieterse for various tickets to the abovementioned events which were never provided by Pieterse to our clients,” stated the letter of demand. 

“In addition to the payments made to Pieterse and due to non-delivery of the tickets by Pieterse, our client was also forced to make alternative arrangements and as such suffered damages by having to expend further monies on tickets from other sources to satisfy our clients’ customers.” 

The overall claim comprises about R27-million paid for tickets, nearly R8-million in alleged damages arising from non-delivery and more than R17-million exclusively mentioned for Wimbledon, according to the demand.

Leisure Connexion received about R3.7-million worth of tickets from Pieterse, claimed the letter, hence the R48-million demand.

‘Incorrect characterisation’

Pieterse disputes that he was Leisure Connexion’s supplier. “I do not agree with that characterisation of the relationship,” Pieterse told Daily Maverick in an emailed response.

“My dealings and arrangements were with Mr Adelbert Retief. At his request, I sourced tickets for various sporting events during 2025 and 2026, for which payment was made prior to supply.

“Tickets were transferred either directly to Mr Retief or to third parties on his instructions. I was not a partner, associate or contracted supplier of SA Leisure Connexion CC, nor did I contract directly with its clients.”

Pieterse also disputes the R48-million claim amount, saying it “substantially overstates what is supported by underlying transactions and records”.

On the Greatest Rivalry tickets specifically, Pieterse’s account contradicts Leisure Connexion’s. While the letter to affected companies says he was paid in full, Pieterse said Retief had indicated interest, but “no confirmed order was placed with me”.

He said Retief wanted to pay only once the tickets could be shown, contrary to their arrangement that payment came before supply.

“A substantial number of tickets were supplied in accordance with the arrangements between Mr Retief and myself. We have supporting records of the tickets supplied directly to Mr Retief and to third parties on his instructions, which support my position,” Pieterse said.

Pieterse said tickets were sourced “through various channels and suppliers” and transferred via official ticketing platforms, but acknowledged he did not hold an official allocation from the sporting bodies or event organisers.

The letter attributes the Dennis Bay information to Pieterse. Pieterse, however, said he was not aware of anyone by that name supplying the tickets, or of any such person being associated with New Zealand Rugby.

Pieterse also said that he had paid some refunds for tickets he was unable to supply, while also claiming he is owed money by Retief.

“Following a detailed reconciliation of the payments received, tickets supplied and refunds made, I dispute that any further refund is due to Mr Retief,” Pieterse said.

“My reconciliation in fact reflects a balance owing to me, which my legal representative has already demanded from Mr Retief.

“I want to make it clear that I reject any suggestion that I defrauded Leisure Connexion, Mr Retief or any of their clients.

“I had no dealings with Leisure Connexion’s clients and was not aware of the payments or arrangements made between them and Leisure Connexion. “Those arrangements were entirely outside my knowledge and involvement. “I do sincerely sympathise with anyone who may have been affected or disappointed, but I was not aware of or involved in the arrangements between Leisure Connexion and its clients.”

Affected agencies retract condemnations of Saru

Initially, the uncertainty led to backlash against the South African Rugby Union (Saru), with claims that the federation had double-sold tickets or had problems with its ticketing system. 

Saru strongly denied the allegations and subsequently reported Leisure Connexion, SportPro, Steadfast Africa and Resolute Sport to the South African Police Service (SAPS). 

According to Saru, the agencies had breached event terms and conditions of sale by re-selling tickets, packaging tickets with other offerings and selling a product they did not own. 

A Saru spokesperson told Daily Maverick that the federation was currently dealing with “various ticketing transgressors” through their attorneys and asked that the legal process follow its course as there were “a lot of allegations by various parties”. 

The spokesperson informed Daily Maverick that Saru addressed the allegation with the “transgressors” and the agencies have since retracted the contentions. 

“Unfortunately, a number of consumers attempted to purchase tickets (together with hospitality offerings, including travel, accommodation, food, drinks, etc) from independent service providers,” a spokesperson for Saru said.

“The providers did not secure tickets for reasons unknown to SA Rugby and then attempted to blame SA Rugby’s ticketing platform as the cause in order to excuse their failures,” said the spokesperson. 

“SA Rugby addressed these allegations with the transgressors who have all admitted that this issue had nothing to do with SA Rugby (retracting those contentions) and it is now alleged by these service providers that it was all as a result of fraudulent activity by one particular operator.” 

“The only way for consumers to guarantee the validity and security of their tickets is to purchase and transfer tickets exclusively through the official Springboks app.

“The app is SA Rugby’s sole authorised ticketing platform and provides consumers with the protections afforded by the ticket-sale Terms and Conditions.

“Any ticket obtained outside of this platform carries the risk of being invalid, undeliverable or linked to fraudulent activity – leaving the consumer exposed and unprotected.” DM