Cape Town - Former South African rugby boss Louis Luyt died at a hospital in Durban on Friday morning. He was 80 years old.

Volksblad's sport editor, Hendrik Cronjé, confirmed the news to Sport24 on Friday. The cause of Luyt's death is still unknown but he had been suffering with heart ailments for some time.

Luyt started the The Citizen newspaper in 1976 and was also the mastermind behind the construction of the new Ellis Park Stadium, as well as being at the helm of the Transvaal Rugby Union during the 1980s and early 1990s.

He became president of the then South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) in the early 1990s and was SARFU boss when the Springboks won the 1995 Rugby World Cup.

Luyt quit his rugby job in 1998 after being accused of racism and financial mismanagement. He then became a member of Parliament as leader of the Federal Alliance in 1999.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Rugby/Ex-ru...-dies-20130201