There will be a ground-breaking new addition to the match-day kit of the Springboks when they face the Barbarians in their opening match of the season at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium in Gqeberha on June 20.
In novel innovation for supporters and players, the men in green and will be carrying the names of fans on their shorts for a match that will mark the start one of their busiest seasons in history.
Together with Betway, the Springboks will be paying tribute to their super supporters by replacing the Betway logo on the back of the shorts with the names of 23 fans chosen from across South Africa.
“Springbok fans are behind every tackle, every try and every victory,” said Jason Shield, head of sponsorship at Betway Africa.
“This initiative will give 23 fans a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get their names behind our Springboks and an experience they will never forget. We see this as an opportunity to pay tribute to the fans who are truly behind the Boks.”
Springbok supporters play an important role in the team’s journey, and this initiative is a unique way to recognise the passion and support South Africans bring to the game
— Rian Oberholzer, SA Rugby chief executive
SA Rugby chief executive Rian Oberholzer said the innovation would be a special moment in Bok history.
“Springbok supporters play an important role in the team’s journey, and this initiative is a unique way to recognise the passion and support South Africans bring to the game,” he said.
“To see fans’ names carried onto the field alongside the Springboks makes this a really special moment.”
How to enter
To enter, supporters can visit www.behindeverybok.co.za, submit their details and generate a personalised preview showing exactly what their name could look like on the Springbok shorts.
Fans will then need to share their entry on social media using #BehindEveryBok to officially enter the competition.
The selected winners will be joined by Betway Squad campaign captain Jean de Villiers for the ultimate Springbok experience in Gqeberha during match week.
Entries are officially open and the closing date is June 11.
Boks’ season ahead
Bok coach Rassie Erasmus will name his training squad shortly for the season-opening double-header between SA and the Barbarians and the SA A team against Zimbabwe.
This will be followed by three back-to-back Test matches against England in Johannesburg (July 4), Scotland in Pretoria (July 11), and Wales in Durban (July 18) as part of the Nations Championship and a match against Argentina in Buenos Aires (August 8) before four Tests against the All Blacks in the Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series in August and September.
The Boks will then travel to Australia to face the Wallabies in Perth (September 27) before the second leg of the Nations Championship kicks off in Europe, with matches against Italy (November 7), France (November 13) and Ireland (November 21), before the Finals Weekend in London (November 27 to 29).
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