In celebration of 25 years of Vodacom Super Rugby comes a new trophy that will stand like a monument to the past and a sentinel to the future.
A trophy forged from the toughest materials pulled from the very earth upon which the rugby fields of the southern hemisphere have thundered with the sound of 25 years of Vodacom Super Rugby glory.
It has taken 25 years to reach this moment. A moment when the whistle will blow for the final time in the history of Vodacom Super Rugby, 25 years after it blew to signal the start of the most gut-wrenching, heart-stopping, fist-pumping rugby competition the world of sport has ever seen.
A moment when we will all say our goodbyes to something that has been a part of us, as players and as fans.
The 2020 Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked trophy will represent the ultimate tribute to the pure resilience, longevity and passion of one of the toughest competitions in the history of rugby.
“For the last Vodacom Super Rugby tournament, we wanted to create something that encapsulated the history of the past 25 years and which had a heritage feel to it, but which also looked to the future and portrayed the possibilities in that,” said Liam Dobell, head of rugby for Vodacom.
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So from the workshop of Gilles Raffle and the team at MascotOne comes the new Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked trophy. A trophy for one season, but also a trophy for 25 years of reasons.
A trophy that stands on the cusp of a new dawn in the game.
“The meaning of this trophy is so much more than just an idle piece of metal someone holds up in the air,” said Raffle.
“We wanted to create something that was unique for this moment in our rugby history, and which was a fitting farewell to this great competition. In a way, I’m quite sad we’ll use it only once because it’s just so beautiful. But there is also a beauty in that. It is the last one, and that makes it momentous.”
At the end of this year’s Vodacom Super Rugby Unlocked, one team will lift a trophy that represents 25 years of rugby. But also a trophy that will represent 200 hours of 3D modelling, layout and design just to get it to the physical production phase.
This year, at the final blow of the referee’s whistle, the last team will add its name to 25 years of Vodacom Super Rugby history.
“Any success in something unique is the story and meaning behind it,” said Raffle.
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