JOHANNESBURG — In the week that the Steinhoff financial scandal broke, the South African Sevens team, with the Steinhoff name emblazoned on the players’ jerseys, was in action in the Cape Town leg of the World Sevens Series. The result was disappointing for the team – beaten in the semi-finals by New Zealand and finishing the tournament in third place. The connection between the team’s misfortune and Steinhoff’s demise was an easy one to make. As the Steinhoff meltdown continued, it was inevitable that the company’s branding on the Blitzbok jersey would be questioned. How could a company mired in scandal continue to parade its logo on a successful South African brand? The answer has come quickly with the announcement from SA Rugby that the deal with Steinhoff is no more. While the statement indicates the decision to end the relationship with SA Rugby was Steinhoff’s, the question does linger whether SA Rugby put pressure on the beleaguered company to call it quits. – David O’Sullivan
Sorry to mention this but Blitzbokke playing in Steinhoff jerseys is disgraceful given the pensioners and older people having lost their savings! SA must get a morality check @Blitzboks @Springboks @roblouw6
— Schalk Burger (@skalabrak) December 9, 2017
From SA Rugby
SA Rugby confirmed on Monday that it had received notification from Steinhoff International that the company was withdrawing from all sponsorship activities. It means the Springbok Men’s and Women’s, and SA Rugby Sevens Academy teams will no longer carry the company’s logo.
“We have been kept informed by Steinhoff of their thinking and they have confirmed their intention to withdraw from their sponsorship of Sevens rugby with immediate effect,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby.
“It has been completed amicably and by agreement. We’d like to thank Steinhoff for their commitment and support over the past two seasons.”
Roux said that the process had already begun to identify an alternative partner.
“We believe all our national teams have characteristics, values and a unique South African DNA that makes them highly attractive to commercial partners,” said Roux.
“The Springbok Sevens team has added to that with consistently high standards of performance as the current holders of the HSBC World Rugby Sevens Series title and we believe they will be an attractive proposition for potential partners.”
During 2018, the Springbok Sevens team will defend their Commonwealth Games title on Australia’s Gold Coast between 13 and 15 April and then challenge for the Sevens Rugby World Cup title in San Francisco between 20 and 22 July.
The Springbok Women’s Sevens team will also contest both events. The Blitzboks are next in action in the HSBC World Sevens Series in Sydney, Australia, on 26-28 January.
Source: http://www.sarugby.co.za/article.aspx?category=sarugby/sevens&id=4214034
