Emirates Lions renew ‘sound’ sponsorship
DOORNFONTEIN -– The Lions receive a five-year sponsorship boost as Emirates Airlines renews its partnership with the rugby franchise.
The Emirates Lions Rugby Company which has become one of the most successful rugby franchises in South Africa’s recent past after the Blue Bulls, has announced the renewal of its sponsorship with Emirates Airlines for another five years.
The renewal of the sponsorship was announced by former rugby legend and now CEO of the Lions Rugby Company, Rudolf Straeuli at a joint press conference. Straeuli was joined by with Emirates Airlines regional manager for South Africa, Fouad Caunhye and the managing director of the Emirates Park Stadium, Edgar Rathbone at the stadium in Doornfontein.
Straeuli, a former coach of the Springboks from 2002 to 2003, commended the airline for its decision to renew the sponsorship, saying such a move had become a rare occurrence in the sporting fraternity and ‘we can truly say that we are honoured for the generous gesture and look forward to completing a decade of warm friendship’.
He added that the gesture was ‘a sign and an endorsement of the good job that we’re doing and we hope to continue to improve and build on this achievement and hope the relationship will transcend many more years to come’.
Straeuli, a Springbok rugby legend of the 80s to the early 90s who also played franchise rugby for the Golden Lions and represented the country in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, would not be drawn into the disclosure of how much the sponsorship purse was but could only say it was a ‘sound amount’.
Caunhye said he was delighted to have been able to pen another five year deal of sponsorship for the Emirates Lions. “I can say with confidence that the sky is the limit for our relationship if we can continue to keep it within the rails,” he said.
Rathbone said the renewal could not have come at a better time with Lions rugby at its peak.
“I can only commend the decision taken by the Emirates to renew the sponsorship and ensure the rugby franchise continues with its good work right into the unforeseeable future,” Rathbone concluded.
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