Former North Otago rugby chairman Bill Dean missed out on a place on the board of the New Zealand Rugby Union but there will still be a southern voice on the national union.
Dean lost out to former Canterbury Rugby Football Union chairman Stewart Mitchell as a southern zone representative.
Former Lion Nathan managing director Peter Kean, who worked in Dunedin for many years, was announced, at the union's annual meeting on Wednesday in Wellington, as an independent director of the NZRU.
Kean has strong links with the South, having worked for Speight's for many years in Dunedin and also being heavily involved in sport in the city.
He was the managing director of food and drinks company Lion Dairy & Drink in Melbourne for the past three years but retired earlier this year and has returned to New Zealand.
NZRU chairman Mike Eagle stood down from his post after serving the maximum three terms on the board.
A new chairman will be elected later this month. In the interim, Southland's Graham Cooney will be acting chairman.
