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Gary Boshoff
I was fortunate to attend last night’s FNB Varsity Cup match between the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University - “The Madibaz” - and the University of Johannesburg, in Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth.
Thanks to FNB and Steinhoff, the sponsors of the Varsity Cup competition, University Rugby is experiencing an unprecedented revival in South Africa.
Just to be present at any one of the Varsity Cup fixtures is proof enough: the excitement and vibe evident among the spectators; the participation of the crowd in the event through various activities/competitions and the renewed rivalry between the institutions, all work together to make this a winning formula - not only for the sponsors, but also for the Universities, SARU and SuperSport!
The added introduction of the Varsity Shield (with the incentive to gain promotion to the Varsity Cup) in 2011 has opened new possibilities for the competition and underlines the incredible rugby depth available to SARU.
The high quality performances of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Fort Hare, Wits, Cape Town University of Technology (CUT), and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) have already attracted the attention of provincial and professional talent scouts and is indeed fertile soil for future professional players.
It is especially at institutions such as UWC and Fort Hare, where the game has been allowed to regress since unification, where the renewed interest and commitment is a welcome sight.
FNB and Steinhoff’s commitment to making this sponsorship work for the universities and to provide a special time and space for talented rugby players through this competition, has been a saving grace for university sport and provides a model for similar competitions for other sports codes.
There are now a range of platforms for talented players to make their mark on the rugby scene: at school level early bloomers can establish themselves in the various Craven Week sides of their provinces and through that in the national age group sides; the universities provide the second stage in the pathway of the talented South African rugby player; then there is club rugby which provides another national platform through the National Club Championships; the Vodacom Cup competition provides the next level of opportunity and talent development.
With all these opportunities available to South African rugby players to excel through the various achievement levels, it is inevitable that the South African rugby system will increasingly churn out hundreds, if not thousands of top class players.
What happens thereafter and the success thereof lies in the hands of the national selectors and the national coach in identifying and selecting the best among them for the Springboks. It is here where the national federation must ensure that effective systems and structures are put in place to ensure that only the best of the best is retained for South African rugby.
In many ways the FNB/Steinhoff sponsorship of the Varsity Cup is a classic example of how sponsorship can indeed play a transformational role in the sport system and have a direct hand in the survival and revival of a sport.
Full marks to the Francois Pienaar (FNB and former Springbok captain) who had the vision to drive the concept, invest millions into its establishment as a dominant brand in university sport and now, to invest even more money into the expansion of the project to include smaller rugby universities such as Wits, UWC and CUT through the Varsity Shield.
Just judging by the enthusiasm with which the students greeted the two teams at the NMMU campus and the eagerness they displayed when participating in staged activities are enough proof that FNB and Steinhoff has filled an important void in university life, a void that has been dormant for much too long.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
I was fortunate to attend last night’s FNB Varsity Cup match between the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University - “The Madibaz” - and the University of Johannesburg, in Nelson Mandela Bay in Port Elizabeth.
Thanks to FNB and Steinhoff, the sponsors of the Varsity Cup competition, University Rugby is experiencing an unprecedented revival in South Africa.
Just to be present at any one of the Varsity Cup fixtures is proof enough: the excitement and vibe evident among the spectators; the participation of the crowd in the event through various activities/competitions and the renewed rivalry between the institutions, all work together to make this a winning formula - not only for the sponsors, but also for the Universities, SARU and SuperSport!
The added introduction of the Varsity Shield (with the incentive to gain promotion to the Varsity Cup) in 2011 has opened new possibilities for the competition and underlines the incredible rugby depth available to SARU.
The high quality performances of the University of the Western Cape (UWC), Fort Hare, Wits, Cape Town University of Technology (CUT), and the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) have already attracted the attention of provincial and professional talent scouts and is indeed fertile soil for future professional players.
It is especially at institutions such as UWC and Fort Hare, where the game has been allowed to regress since unification, where the renewed interest and commitment is a welcome sight.
FNB and Steinhoff’s commitment to making this sponsorship work for the universities and to provide a special time and space for talented rugby players through this competition, has been a saving grace for university sport and provides a model for similar competitions for other sports codes.
There are now a range of platforms for talented players to make their mark on the rugby scene: at school level early bloomers can establish themselves in the various Craven Week sides of their provinces and through that in the national age group sides; the universities provide the second stage in the pathway of the talented South African rugby player; then there is club rugby which provides another national platform through the National Club Championships; the Vodacom Cup competition provides the next level of opportunity and talent development.
With all these opportunities available to South African rugby players to excel through the various achievement levels, it is inevitable that the South African rugby system will increasingly churn out hundreds, if not thousands of top class players.
What happens thereafter and the success thereof lies in the hands of the national selectors and the national coach in identifying and selecting the best among them for the Springboks. It is here where the national federation must ensure that effective systems and structures are put in place to ensure that only the best of the best is retained for South African rugby.
In many ways the FNB/Steinhoff sponsorship of the Varsity Cup is a classic example of how sponsorship can indeed play a transformational role in the sport system and have a direct hand in the survival and revival of a sport.
Full marks to the Francois Pienaar (FNB and former Springbok captain) who had the vision to drive the concept, invest millions into its establishment as a dominant brand in university sport and now, to invest even more money into the expansion of the project to include smaller rugby universities such as Wits, UWC and CUT through the Varsity Shield.
Just judging by the enthusiasm with which the students greeted the two teams at the NMMU campus and the eagerness they displayed when participating in staged activities are enough proof that FNB and Steinhoff has filled an important void in university life, a void that has been dormant for much too long.
Gary Boshoff is a former SARU player and current Afrikaans rugby commentator on SuperSport.
Disclaimer: Sport24 encourages freedom of speech and the expression of diverse views. The views of columnists published on Sport24 are therefore their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sport24.
