The 48-year-old, a former member of his country's Parliament, was the only candidate for the position with an election held at an extraordinary general meeting in capital city Warsaw.

Olszewski was backed by 38 out of the 40 eligible voters with the other two members abstaining, and will serve a three-year term. 

Another hopeful candidate, Wieslaw Chudzik, was not allowed to stand as his campaign did not meet "formal requirements".

The new President replaces Frenchman Serge Bosca, who was dismissed from the role last month.

According to Radio Poland, this followed critics claiming that he had not delivered on his pre-election promises.

Among Olszewski's main tasks will be to "rebuild a positive atmosphere in Polish rugby".

He has also targeted developing youth and assisting national team coach Blikkies Groenewald as priorities.

"The unification of the environment is one of my main goals for the coming months," said Olszewski, a director of the territorial branch of the Polish Space Agency who has been vice-president of the Polish Federation of Youth Sports for a decade.

"I want to talk to everyone, including my predecessors. 

"I would definitely want to visit all the major rugby centres in Poland and listen to what they think about the working relationship in the clubs."

Poland are one of rugby's emerging nations and are 34th in World Rugby's men's rugby union rankings. 

They play in the second-tier Rugby Europe Trophy and have never qualified for the World Cup.