SA Rugby has launched a range of off-field Springbok-themed clothing to carry the team into every corner of every day South African life in a game-changing move to meet consumer demand.
For the first time, SA Rugby will be producing its own range of clothing for everyday work and leisure wear, to give supporters the option of associating with the team every day of the week, every day of the year.
The range – which includes polo shirts, formal shirts, tee-shirts and quarter-zip tops among other things – went on sale today through manufacturer Old School’s online channels and stores and will be shortly available at Sneakers and Total Sports.
Ultimately it is SA Rugby’s ambition to open Springbok-themed stores.
“We love to see everyone in their green and gold Nike match jerseys on Bok Friday and at the games, but in a strategic reset we undertook at the start of the year, we also looked at what was happening in the market,” said Rian Oberholzer, CEO of SA Rugby.
“There has been a proliferation of imitators and counterfeiters on social media using the Bok and an association with rugby to service an obvious appetite.
“It prompted the question, ‘why isn’t there a Bok brand of clothing that you could wear to the office and casually?’ It’s a model that has been successfully adopted by other sports related brands.
“The initial range has been launched in time to coincide with the start of the Castle Lager Outgoing Tour and the Boks game against Scotland in Edinburgh on Sunday, but will expand over time and become more widely available.
“This is an enormously exciting moment for SA Rugby, and our supporters. It will allow them to associate with their favourite team every day of the week – wherever they are.”
Oberholzer said the vision in due course was to open Springbok stores in several locations by the time of the 2027 Rugby World Cup and to make the Springbok brand ever present in SA workplaces and homes with an appropriate range of leisure and workwear.
“The range is designed to bring the spirit of rugby into everyday life,” said Oberholzer. “It’s about bringing the energy and passion of rugby into all aspects of life.”
The Springbok clothing range is now available for purchase online and at select retail locations.
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Sport Trivia: Who beat South Africa twice in the 1992 Cricket World Cup? Answer: England. South Africa played against England in the group stage on 12 March 1992 in Melbourne, and England won by 3 wickets. They then faced each other again in the semi-finals on the 22 March in Sydney, and England won by 19 runs.
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