Mtn Ends Successful 8-year Springboks Sponsorship

MTN South Africa has ended its eight-year sponsorship of national rugby team Springboks , bringing to a close a successful partnership that included two Rugby World Cup wins.

The sponsorship started in 2017 as the Springboks yearned for another World Cup win, having won last in 2007.

"We would like to thank SA Rugby for placing their faith in us and having us as their headline sponsor for such a long time, MTN SA CEO Charles Molapisi said in a statement released by SA Rugby on Tuesday 25 March.

"After closing the page on a winning campaign on-and-off the field, where the game was taken from the big lights of Emirates Airline Park, Stade de France and Twickenham to the inner cities, small towns and rural areas where growth needed a boost, the Boks and MTN will now open new chapters in their respective sponsorship journeys."

South Africa won the 2019 and 2023 Rugby World Cups during the partnership, bringing their total wins to four.

SA Rugby President Mark Alexander hailed MTN for answering a call to corporate South Africa to partner with us at a challenging time for rugby in this country.

"MTN's faith was truly inspiring when they first came on board during those dark days. Of course, rugby would grind to a halt without the unwavering support of our partners. MTN led the way in this regard, and we wish them every success in the future, he added.

As headline sponsor, the mobile operator played a major role in strengthening SA Rugbys global profile and the games long-term sustainability.

It invested in fan engagement through the Springboks supporters club BokSquad as well as the Bozza. It also invested R30 million to help develop rugby at the grassroots level.

Its unclear at this stage if SA Rugby has secured another headline sponsor. Its other sponsors include Nike, FNB, OUTsurance, Castle Lager and Coca-Cola, amongst others.