SA Rugby and Coca-Cola enter new partnership

SA Rugby and Coca-Cola announced a groundbreaking new four-year partnership on Thursday, reigniting a collaboration that spans more than three decades which will see the world-famous red and white logo appear on the playing shorts of all the national teams in green and gold.

The new partnership includes the reigning world champions, the Springboks, as well as the Springbok Women, Springbok Sevens men and women, as well as the Junior Springbok teams.

As part of the new sponsorship, Coca-Cola branding will feature on all the Springbok teams’ playing shorts, kicking off on Friday when the Blitzboks take the field at the HSBC SVNS Perth.

SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer welcomed the partnership: “We are thrilled to have Coca-Cola return as a partner. Their long-standing commitment to South African rugby has been instrumental in the development of the sport.

“This new chapter will help us achieve sustainable and inclusive growth, providing us with the support needed to nurture talent and engage with fans across the nation. We look forward to the positive outcomes this partnership will bring.”

Sergio Vieira, Vice President of Franchise Operations for Coca-Cola South Africa, said: “Our partnership with SA Rugby Union is driven by our shared values and our strong legacy of sports sponsorship and community upliftment in the country.”

Coca-Cola’s longstanding history of supporting South African rugby includes the first time the Springboks were crowned world champions in 1995, and the development of the sport through the Coca-Cola Rugby School of Excellence and the Coca-Cola Youth Weeks, amongst other notable initiatives.

“We’re proud to support SA Rugby in their mission to ensure sustainable and inclusive growth of the sport by returning with a robust partnership designed to drive impact and support the growth of the sport across all levels. We look forward to a new journey that will pave the way for more historic achievements with our national teams,” added Vieira.