Betway extends South African rugby shorts sponsorship

Betway has renewed its partnership with SA Rugby for a further four years, which will now also reach the Blitzboks and Springbok Women’s Sevens teams.

The sponsorship, which previously applied to the Springbok men and women’s sides only, will see the British gambling company’s branding placed on the back of the shorts of the four teams.

Betway continues to boost its presence in South Africa, where it has been an active operator since 2017.

Head of Marketing at Betway Africa, Mark Rowles, said: “The Springboks are a team that have brought so much joy to South Africa and we as Betway are delighted to be behind the Boks for another four years, our journey has seen so much success for the team and that feel good feeling has certainly rubbed off on the Rainbow Nation.

“We are looking forward to playing a role in the success of both the women’s and sevens teams over the next four-year period and will be investing in the growth and accessibility of the women’s game.

“We will be launching our official Springbok campaign in the next few weeks, so keep an eye out for our billboards across South Africa, where Springbok fans have continuously shown their support by being fully behind the Boks. 

“We would also like to take this opportunity to wish the Springbok Women’s squad all the best for the upcoming World Cup in England that kicks off in August.”

A target region

In the country, Betway’s sportsbook covers 27 sports altogether – both local and international. The firm also holds several sponsorships such as the Betway SA20 T20 cricket league as well as horseracing’s Betway Summer Cup.

Last year, the bookmaker also netted the naming rights to the country’s top football division –  the Betway Premiership (PSL). This was claimed to be “the single biggest investment in South African sport” – reportedly valued at around R900m (£38.3m) for a three-year period.

Meanwhile, the operator also contributes through several community initiatives such as Betway Cares, supporting elderly care, disability sports and grassroots programmes.

On the latest rugby extension, SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer explained: “As we’ve seen over the last four years, this partnership with Betway enabled us to work together in bringing our passionate fans even closer to the game.

“We are excited to extend our partnership with Betway as this will yet again stretch beyond the four white lines of a rugby field. Betway have brought some exciting initiatives to the rugby landscape, such as the Betway Next Phase.”

Betway Next Phase is a three-year coaching programme that aims to elevate the level of women’s rugby in the country. The initiative includes in-depth masterclasses conducted by Lynne Cantwell, supported by Director of Rugby and World Cup-winning coach, Rassie Erasmus.

Oberholzer went on to assert that without sponsors such as Betway, the sport would struggle.

He concluded: “We’re fortunate that we have a partner such as Betway that is passionate about growing rugby.”