Both
mainstream sporting codes in South Africa will be on show together for the
first time, when a rugby team wearing the kit of South African soccer giants
Kaizer Chiefs participates in a tournament based on a T20 Cricket format.
The
occasion is the inaugural NBM 7’s Premier League tournament, taking place in
George on 14-15 December. The tournament features the South African Super Rugby
franchises and six corporate teams from all over the country. Numerous celebrities, famous South African
brands, and sporting icons will participate in two days of action-packed sports
at the picturesque Outeniqua Park Stadium.
The
Kaizer Chiefs 7s rugby team will be coached by former Springbok, Gcobani Bobo
and captained by former record try-scoring Springbok ace Breyton Paulse. In a
move that celebrates Chiefs’ Gauteng roots, the rest of the team will be made
up of players from the Vodacom Bulls and MTN Lions franchises.
According
to tournament promoter Willem Strauss, “Witnessing the social cohesion and
interaction between different cultures when the Bulls played their Super Rugby
matches in Orlando in 2010, was the inspiration for inviting the soccer giants,
Kaizer Chiefs to participate in the NMB 7s Premier League.”
Strauss
also added that this is a major coup for rugby. "With sevens now an
Olympic sport and South Africa realistic medal contenders for the 2016 Games in
Rio, this is fantastic news. Kaizer Chiefs is one of the biggest brands in South
Africa and to expose their fans to rugby opens up a whole new audience for the
game. I am very grateful for the support from Chiefs and I am sure they will
benefit greatly from this venture."
Kaizer
Chiefs Marketing Director, Jessica Motaung, explained why they decided to field
a team in this unique tournament. "This is the coming together of two big
brands, a cross-cover of two sporting worlds and we at Kaizer Chiefs are very
excited about it. We like to be part of
sports history as a brand and we felt the association with the Rugby 7s is a
historical milestone in football, rugby and sports as a whole. Our Sponsor and Financial Insurance Business
partner, Hollard brought the opportunity to us and we agreed so we could take
our place in this exciting sports event.
Kaizer Chiefs and Hollard have a special association and we are thrilled
that they thought of the Gold and Black to be a part of the tournament.”
“Amakhosi
will have the might of our supporters behind us and I am confident that Gcobani
and Breyton will do a great job. We are
about Love & Peace, but we mean business on the field of play," she
added.
Michelle
Davadoss, Marketing Director of Hollard Insurance said “We’re excited about
this unique initiative which promotes collaboration across sports, which
celebrates excellence and which promotes healthy activity in a family-friendly
environment. This is a great example of the different thinking we bring to our
partnerships. Our great relationship with Kaizer Chiefs has enabled this
initiative. We’re especially thrilled about the fact that the Kaizer Chiefs 7s
team will run rugby clinics in the local neighbourhoods as part of community
development and promoting rugby among the youth.”
Both
Bobo and Paulse played for the Springboks in fifteens and sevens, two of only a
handful of players ever to achieve this.
The
decision by the iconic Chiefs brand to venture into rugby was embraced by a
very excited Bobo. "In my early days in sport, I wanted nothing more than
to play for Kaizer Chiefs, become a legend and then move to Real Madrid. It did
not work out quite that way as I became a rugby player, but this opportunity to
be associated with Kaizer Chiefs is one I cannot miss again. It will be a
massive honour and privilege to coach their team. Breyton has vast experience
as a player and to tap into that knowledge will be a massive boost to the rest
of the team," said Bobo.
Paulse
and Bobo will be joined by a number of sevens icons, with the likes of Fabian
Juries, Stefan Basson, Mzwandile Stick and Brent Russell playing alongside and
against international stars like Zar Lawrence (New Zealand), Ben Gollings (England),
Shane Williams (Wales)and possibly Quade Cooper (Australia) amongst others.
The
six Super Rugby franchises will also field numerous of their star players as
the R1 million rand in prize money provide massive incentives to all to field
their best teams.
Tickets
are for sale at Computicket branches nationwide already.
