The Blitzboks will join in the centenary celebrations of the life of the late former President Nelson Mandela by playing in a specially designed Madiba jersey at the HSBC Cape Town Sevens this weekend.
Mandela would have turned 100 years old this year had he not passed away on 5 December 2013, and three days later, the Blitzboks dedicated their Port Elizabeth tournament victory at the Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium to his memory.
The idea to play in the Madiba-style jerseys originated with team sponsor Castle Free and along with SA Rugby, ASICS, the official apparel and footwear supplier to South Africa’s national teams, and the Nelson Mandela Foundation rolled up their sleeves to make it happen.
The jersey takes its green-and-gold design inspiration from the intricately patterned shirts Madiba was famous for wearing.
“The entire country celebrated the life of Mandela this year and we’re honoured to also have an opportunity to pay our respects as in this specially designed Madiba jersey as part of SA Rugby’s contribution to the centenary celebrations of our first democratically-elected president,” said Philip Snyman, captain of the Blitzboks at the media launch at Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton.
Castle Lager’s brand director, Vaughan Croeser said, “The idea of designing this iconic jersey is the brand’s way of honouring Madiba’s legacy. We hope this uniquely designed jersey serves as an inspiration to the boys for their forthcoming encounter on Saturday.”
