South Africa’s four Super Rugby teams will go superhero for next year’s tournament.
SA Rugby announced on Tuesday that it had, together with local sponsors Vodacom, SuperSport and Marvel, reached an agreement that will see each franchise being assigned a hero from the media franchise.
The Bulls will be associated with Captain America, the Lions Spider-Man, the Sharks Black Panther and the Stormers Thor.
In home derby games, the teams will also play in specially designed kits that reflect that of the Superhero they’ve been paired up with.
These designs are expected to be unveiled in January.
“Super Rugby has always been about entertainment and providing supporters with something new, and in 2019 we will definitely achieve that with this exciting endeavour with Marvel,” said SA Rugby chief Jurie Roux.
“The global rugby landscape is changing and teams across all continents are trying new things to further raise the interest of fans. We envisage reaching new audiences and gaining new supporters for our franchises and the game as a whole in South Africa.”
Marvel itself is quite excited to be associated with the tournament.
“Whether it’s Spider-Man’s genius and agility, Thor’s strength and endurance, Captain America’s honour and strategy or Black Panther’s speed and stamina, we are thrilled to collaborate with clubs in this year’s South African Conference in Vodacom Super Rugby, aligning these character attributes with our own iconic teams,” said Luke Roberts, Retail Director for The Walt Disney Company Africa.
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