It was only recently that the Lions had Johannesburg (if not the whole of South Africa) clinging to the edge of their seats after the team tackled their way to the final wrung on the Super Rugby ladder. Though a South African victory was not secured for the Lions going against the Crusaders at the final, they still managed to win hearts for taking the country so far into the tournament. In light of this national comradery, Hisense South Africa is therefore proud to announce that the company will be renewing their status as the Official Electronics Partner of Lions Rugby for another year.
The sponsorship will stretch across the 2018 Vodacom Super Rugby and Currie Cup competitions, with Hisense receiving exclusive signage rights within Emirates Airline Park. As before, the Hisense logo will continue to proudly appear on the right shoulder of the Emirates Lions and Xerox Golden Lions kits.
Ryan Curling, Brand Manager at Hisense South Africa notes that the brand certainly made the right choice partnering with the Lions rugby team, and that the partnership has been a success since it was announced in February this year. "As two leading brands in the South African space, we share a commonality in that we strive on competition, pushing boundaries, and innovating practices. We are excited to continue our association with the Lions," Curling adds.
"This partnership aligns well with our local AIM HIGH campaign which endeavours to re-ignite the aspirations of South Africans. With Emirates Lions always aiming for the top, their motivation to perform meets ours," says Hisense South Africa's Marketing Manager, Claire Noyes-Smith.
Rudolf Straeuli, the Lions Rugby Company (Pty) Ltd Chief Executive Officer comments "we look forward to a successful and continued relationship with Hisense. It's been great working with such a committed sponsor and sporting enthusiast. Our partnership is based on a mutual understanding and common desire to achieve, and to bring South Africa together, on and off the field".
All too familiar with big sporting sponsorships, Hisense was named an official sponsor of the 2018 FIFA World Cup earlier this year - becoming the first-ever Chinese consumer electronics brand to sponsor the tournament. Other prominent sporting partnerships include: UEFA's Euro 2016, Nascar's XFINITY series, Joe Gibbs Racing, the Australian Open, and Germany's FC Schalke 04.
