Huawei scores rugby’s big five
Announcing the sponsorship deal today (Wednesday) in Johannesburg, Huawei’s Product Marketing Director for South Africa, Yudi Rambaran, said the deal was unique as Huawei sponsorship is the first to involve all of the country’s top five rugby teams which includes DHL Western Province (and the DHL Stormers), the Vodacom Bulls, the Cell C Sharks, the Emirates Lions and the Toyota Cheetahs.
In addition, Huawei will also be the official associate sponsor to the Lions with its logo featuring on the sleeve of the team’s jersey. The announcement by the Chinese company is its second sports-related sponsorship in South Africa – Huawei is also the official shirt sponsor for local PSL team Ajax Cape Town.
“Adding to Huawei’s sports sponsorship portfolio we believe this new opportunity will allow us to showcase Huawei’s latest technology which will assist the players in tracking and monitoring their performances,” said Rambaran.
“It is also evidence of the increasing role that technology plays in the lives of sports stars and their supporters.”
Huawei has established a strong presence in the local market built on its technological leadership and commitment to fair and transparent business practices. The rugby sponsorship continues to reflect the brands commitment to the local market and positions it as a responsible corporate citizen that recognises the value of local partnerships.
All the unions will receive the latest smartphone offerings from Huawei for players and management. Huawei looks forward to providing the teams with performance incentives in the form of tablets and Huawei’s TalkBand fitness trackers which will be an invaluable monitoring tool for players and management to ensure maximum performance on and off the field.
DHL Western Province Rugby CEO Rob Wagner commented: “Western Province Rugby is proud to add Huawei to our growing international stable of partners.
“We look forward to integrating the Huawei cellular technology into our brands and building on this commitment into the future.”
For many South Africans ‘rugby is not just a sport, it’s a way of life’. In an ever more connected world, fans can expect to interact with and be part of their favourite teams with the help of Huawei.
