THE Currie Cup season will commence in a few weeks and ahead of this much anticipated rivalry between the different provinces the new sponsor was announced by the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
The partnership between SARU and Nashua was announced on Wednesday, July 13.
The three-year sponsorship by Nashua of the Currie Cup will commence this season and includes a newly revamped competition. Altogether nine provincial sides will compete in the Premier Division while six teams will play in the First Division.
The Nashua Currie Cup season will kick off over the weekend of August 5 and 6. There are still two rounds of qualifiers left for teams to make the Currie Cup Premier Division. These qualification rounds started in April.
The partnership between Nashua and the SARU also includes a countrywide initiative where pupils from over 100 schools across the country will go through a rugby skills programme run by their specific province.
“Nashua has always been a keen supporter of local sporting talent,” said Nashua CEO, Mark Taylor.
“Specifically in rugby, from the small community and school rugby teams sponsored by our franchises, to national and provincial sides, we like to believe we’ve played an integral part in the South African sports story. It’s about family, heritage and pride.
“The Currie Cup partnership is a perfect fit for Nashua, a uniquely South African company built on a heritage of teamwork and togetherness. Nashua knows that sport, particularly rugby, brings South Africans together. We’re honoured to have played a role in iconic moments in SA sporting history and look forward to the great moments to come.”
Nashua’s involvement with South African sport is as diverse as it is extensive. It has supported heroes from various sports, including Formula 1, boxing in the form of Brian Mitchell (a legend in his time), cycling tennis and golf. Nashua is also invested in the development of cricket, with its Art of Fast Bowling initiative.
Deputy president of the SARU, Mark Alexander said, “We have a long-standing partnership with Nashua which started in 1990, when they became the first sponsor to prominently display their branding on a local rugby jersey – that of the Blue Bulls, who were then still called Northern Transvaal. This sponsorship of the Currie Cup for the next three years completes that circle.”
