First National Bank, a partner of SA Rugby and the Springboks since 2017, has extended its sponsorship by becoming the principal partner of the Springbok Women’s team.
The bank’s logo will appear for the first time on the front of the team’s jerseys in their opening Test against Spain in Johannesburg.
FNB’s partnership with women’s rugby in South Africa marks the first time that the team will have a major sponsor since the women’s XVs programme was relaunched in 2018.
“We first partnered with FNB five years ago, although their involvement in rugby spans much longer than that, and they have always aligned with our vision for the organization and the sport in South Africa,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of SA Rugby. “To have them come on board as principal sponsor of the Springbok Women not only further emphasizes their commitment to rugby, but also to women’s sport, for which we are very grateful. Women’s rugby is a major priority for SA Rugby, and we know FNB share our passion for the subject. Our women’s team represents all that is good in sports development in South Africa. We all believe that we are at the start of an amazing journey for women’s rugby in our country. It is fantastic to have FNB partnering us on that road that will at some point in the future see the Springbok Women become world champions. To borrow from FNB, this will definitely be a journey from grassroots to greatness.”
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Faye Mfikwe, FNB Chief Marketing Officer, said: “As a proudly South African brand, we recognise the power of sport in nation-building and shared prosperity. Hence, we’re thrilled to expand our relationship with SA Rugby by sponsoring the Springbok Women’s team. Our decision to deepen this partnership is in line with our grassroots to greatness sponsorship strategy, which allows us to support platforms that not only help develop local talent but also showcase our country’s ability to compete in the global arena. Our sponsorship of the Springbok Women’s team is also pivotal in our journey to empower women in sport.”
The Springbok Women recently beat Japan to record their first victory on foreign soil and will soon go into their final preparation stretch before the World Cup, which kicks off in October in New Zealand, where the Springbok Women will come up against France, Fiji and England in their pool matches.
“We are delighted to have FNB on board in the women’s game, as one of our core priorities at this stage is to attract strong and credible sponsors, such as FNB and Betway,” said Lynne Cantwell, SA Rugby’s High-Performance Manager for Women’s Rugby. “We’ve always had a strong partnership with FNB and it’s wonderful that they have also shown a huge interest and commitment in the women’s game. Our plans are to have six to eight Tests per year in future, as well as further investment in a strong elite domestic competition, and we hope other sponsors will see this partnership with FNB as a reason to feel confident about the direction we are taking with the women’s game.”
