She replaces Charl Crous, who departs from the Kings to join PRO14 Rugby in Ireland in his new position of Head of Operations.

Heard spent 22 years at the Sharks where she held pivotal positions including Financial Manager (1994-2008), Chief Financial Manager (2008-2013) and Chief Operations Officer (2013-2014).

Since 2015 she has been consulting to various businesses, including the Kings, with a strong focus on commercial, financial and operational aspects of business.

She holds a B.Com: Finance degree from the University of KwaZulu Natal.

“When we began our search for somebody to fill the position of COO, we were intent on finding an individual who would be able to see through our ambitious vision of turning this franchise around into the world-class entity we, as the GRC, envision,” Kings chairman, Loyiso Dotwana, said.

“Leigh not only comes with a wealth of experience from her involvement in professional rugby and business, but her traits as an accomplished leader, dedication, competence, and loyalty are exactly what we need in this new era for this franchise.

“We welcome her, and wish her the very best in her new role.”

- Southern Kings