Unilever Sponsor South African Rugby Ahead of 2011 World Cup
July 18, 2011
Unilever has become an associate sponsor of the South Africa national rugby union team.
The Springboks kick off their defence of the Rugby World Cup in two months time in the 2011 edition of the tournament, search hosted by New Zealand
The agreement with South African Rugby Union (SARU) means that Unilever’s Shield brand is now the “official deodorant of the Springboks” while Vaseline is the “official skincare of the Springboks”.
Financial details of the deal have not been disclosed.
Unilever South Africa chairman Marijn van Tiggelen said: “Unilever has been in South Africa for over 100 years, and we are proud to show our support for the Springboks. Through the Vaseline and the Shield brands, Unilever seeks to meet the grooming needs of men, and nowhere is the efficacy of a grooming product put to the test more, than on the sports field.”
SARU deputy president Mark Alexander added: “Unilever is a household company name in South Africa and their agreement with SARU will give us access to an enormous footprint across the country. This year we have signed a few significant sponsorship agreements for the Springboks and the addition of an established company such as Unilever shows us the Springbok brand is very healthy.”
