A giant trailer filled with some sought-after silverware will visit schools and clubs across the country early next year to share the success of South African rugby with supporters.
The 15metre-long travelling trophy cabinet will criss-cross the country to show off the trophies won by South African rugby teams in 2009.
A giant trailer filled with some sought-after silverware will visit schools and clubs across the country early next year to share the success of South African rugby with supporters.
The 15metre-long travelling trophy cabinet will criss-cross the country to show off the trophies won by South African rugby teams in 2009.
Among the impressive trophies is the Vodacom Tri-Nations Trophy, the IRB Sevens World Series trophy, The British & Irish Lions series trophy, the Vodacom Super 14 trophy, the Freedom Cup and the Mandela Plate.
The display will also include the Rugby World Cup (won in 2007) and that icon of South African rugby, the Absa Currie Cup.
“The 2009 season has been an extraordinary one for South African rugby and our outstanding players and coaches have collected some of the game’s most prized silverware,” said Andy Marinos, acting managing director of SA Rugby.
“The trophy cabinet in Cape Town is overflowing and now is a golden opportunity to share the success with our supporters in every corner of the country.
It is also a chance to showcase the work that the provincial unions and SA Rugby does and offer people the chance to become involved in the game.”
The tour will start in Cape Town on Friday, 5 February and make its way through all 14 provinces, including rugby “outposts” such as Springbok, Upington, Polokwane and Nelspruit before concluding the tour in Durban on Sunday, 21 March.
The vehicle will make 116 stops en route visiting close to 50 schools as well as clubs, shopping centres and rugby development projects managed by provincial unions in its near 7 000km journey.
“We want to celebrate South African rugby with all of our people and we hope that the day that the green monster from SA Rugby rolled into town will live long in the memories of the people who come to see it,” said Marinos.
The trailer is custom made by Henred Fruehauf in Cape Town and comes complete with a foldout stage and retractable roof while trucking specialists, Value Logistics, are providing the horse, driver and routing support.
Merinos says: “Visitors to the Champion Tour will be able to enrol in coaching and refereeing courses, join a local club, learn about our rugby safety programme BokSmart and our development initiatives as well as become members of the revamped Springbok Supporters’ Club.
“They will have the chance to understand what SA Rugby does: the 11 different professional and amateur rugby competitions the organisation manages as well as the referees and disciplinary procedures for all of them.
“The Champion Tour is our way of taking all of that and the success we have had doing it out into the countryside and sharing it with the fans.”
