Well, it was hardly a big secret, but banking giant ABSA was duly announced as the premier sponsor of the Springboks – and all other things SA Rugby – at a lavish launch today.
ABSA replaces SASOL as the Boks’ headline sponsor, in a deal that will see their logo emblazon SA Rugby jerseys at all levels for the next five years.
Here’s a nice pic, courtesy SA Rugby, showing the new Bok and Blitzbok jersey design.
take note, DHL… you don’t absolutely HAVE to insist on having your own colours on the jersey if they don’t match…
I am no photo expert…but it does not seem like PdV and Hoskins were there in the flesh…just looks like they took a pic with those life size poster things!??! PdV looks a bit taller than he should too…
Well done on the colour coding Absa.Dhl,not so much
@Hmmm (Comment 2) : I don’t think it’s that… I think it’s more that they’ve airbrushed the living daylights out of the photo… The whole thing looks a little “off”
Phobar – photoshopped beyond all recognition
Koonos to you guys at absa! Thanks for leaving the sharks, got our stadium name back again!
@robdylan (Comment 4) :
True. The retouching looks like it was done by someone who just finished learning about the healing brush tool in his Photoshop 101 class.
I just think the absa logo is a tad bigger than I’d want it to be. But good on them for adapting the colour.
@Clayton(PJLD) (Comment 5) : like
@rhineshark (Comment 7) : check Neil Powell…. the oke looks like a cartoon!
@Jeremiser (Comment 8) : I agree its beauty simplified, the ABSA logo is a tad to big but I can look past that.
Could do without the absa doodle bit. Makes it look a bit too busy imo.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 11) : gots to pay dem bills… dose boys sure eat a lot!
Makes John Smit look thin.
@Speed7 (Comment 14) : Haha, I was going to say the opposite, it makes him look like he has not lost any weight from last year, he seems to be sucking his gut in.
Pleasantly surprised at how good it actually looks! Was expecting far worse.
How will the RWC jersey differ? RWC logo on right breast and Springbok to left sleeve with no other changes?
That could actually be the last time Smit wears the Bok jersey. With any luck.
@Speed7 (Comment 18) : hey hey hey..no dissing the captain…
Saw some video footage of the event. PdV is nowhere to be seen. It doesnt mean he wasnt there though
@Dancing Bear (Comment 17) : the rwc jersey won’t have the ABSA logo at all..
@Megatron (Comment 21) : And the Springbok will be on the shoulder
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 22) : on the @ss!
@robdylan (Comment 1) : Haha, that’s what I thought. Imagine how kak the jersey would’ve looked with a red and white ABSA sign in the middle.
Of course, after having pulled the knife out our back at the end of last year, I’m not too keen on ABSA being the Bok sponsor.
@Butchie34 (Comment 25) : stop being touchy. think about all the money over the years they invested (thus helping) in Kings Park.
Granted finish was not the greatest but really no need to cry, it’s professional era.
the collar on the shirt has also changed
I’ve had to remove some comments from this thread. I really don’t give a toss about it if a lot of you have problems with ABSA, but I’m buggered if I’m going to provide a forum for you to air them. If you have a problem with ABSA, go talk to them directly and leave Sharksworld out of it.
Thanks
@rekinek (Comment 25) : Not being touchy at all. I believe ABSA was a great sponsor for a long time. I’m probably wrong but I believe it went all the way back to somewhere around 1998, so 12 years is a long time but the way they ended it left a sour taste in the mouth.
Admittedly they wanted to sponsor a bigger fish in the Springboks. But it’s a new year and the past is the past (as the Stormers and Weer Probeer would have you believe)
@Butchie34 (Comment 28) : and transgressing provincial boundaries..
I’ve always been wondering whether they are die-hard supporters who want buy sth because the firm sponsors opponent’s teams.
@rekinek (Comment 29) : I’d consider myself a die-hard supporter but if sponsorships came into it, I’d chop and change my cellphone with all the different sponsorships floating around.
Remember that Vodacom also dumped both the Stormers and the Cheetahs at the end of last year and are only sponsoring the Bulls (on a team scale). That’s why the Stormers have that abomination of a jersey for the next three years and the Cheetahs are considering sponsorship by Frikkie’s Slaghuis.
@Butchie34 (Comment 30) : not sure whether I understood you. would you or would you not change?
i felt that Vodacom was really stretched when it came to the rugga sponsorship. Plus at some stage their marketing depertment must have realised that we got what we wanted out of the deal and moved onto other pastures.
@rekinek (Comment 31) : Was trying to say that I wouldn’t change.
Vodacom was basically sponsoring everything which couldn’t have been healthy (for their bottomline).
@robdylan (Comment 27) :
Couldnt be any of mine – I have had a long standing policy not to utter their name (unless necessary).
@Salmonoid (Comment 33) : it wasn’t.
i saw a person in a new jersey already (she was definately supporter not a player)
@rekinek (Comment 35) : Made in Fong Kong
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 36) : looked like a real thing. absa was already giving away some as corporate gifts so I thought they would hit the shelves asap.
@rekinek (Comment 35) :
Have you got yours yet?
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 36) : I found you an icon. Happy?
@Salmonoid (Comment 38) :
I thought we were talking about the Sharks jersey.
@Salmonoid (Comment 38) : i did
even a poor sod like me gets lucky sometimes 
@Salmonoid (Comment 38) : @Salmonoid (Comment 40) : then no
@robdylan (Comment 39) : Very
@rekinek (Comment 42) :
does that mean you have the Bok jersey but not the Sharks jersey?
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 43) : what did you write and when and why I could not read it
@Salmonoid (Comment 44) : yes, and now that you said it that way – it does look a bit fishy
@rekinek (Comment 46) : Especially because my
was because I know you are a Sharks supporter but was not sure about the Boks. You can always dye the green one black if you feel bad.
@rekinek (Comment 45) : It was more like copy & paste and unsuccessful at that
but I’ll get a decent one someday.
@Salmonoid (Comment 47) : considering lack of my national representation at this level I thought I would stick with Bokke
especially that they have sharks in.
But the Sharks are by far the favourites.
@Jarson (AddicteD) (Comment 48) : will watch this space
@rekinek (Comment 49) :
gee this jersey i don’t like it looks like it got court up in the jik along with the white clothes
now thw one Captain is wearing that is much better
Now i wonder what red and green would look like
@chaz (Comment 52) : I agree with you… the 7s jersey looks odd