The Noordvaal Rugby competition has a proud history as one of the oldest, biggest and most prestigious school rugby competitions in South Africa. The tournament dates back to 1920 and now features over 200 schools and more than 20,000 schoolboy players.
Says Jorrie Jordaan, chairman of Noordvaal Schools Rugby: “Noordvaal is extremely proud and excited to commence this sponsorship journey with The SDC Group. The tournament features some of SA’s top school rugby teams and (as always) will be fiercely contested this year. The fact that the games are now being broadcast on SuperSport Schools adds an additional element of prestige and excitement!”
The SDC Group is a leader in the field of Skills Development, Job Creation, Education, and Wealth Management. CEO Daniel Gibhard says: “SDC is always looking for relevant and innovative platforms to market our products, and we believe that the SDC Noordvaal Cup provides us with the ideal opportunity to support and engage with the Noordvaal community.”
Gerhard Steyn, the GM of SuperSport Schools commented: “From the very first time we met the team behind the Noordvaal competitions we were impressed by their passion for schools rugby and in awe of the heritage that underpins this competition. We are extremely excited to be the streaming and broadcast partner for this tournament for the next three seasons.”
The sponsorship agreement was brokered by Provantage School Media, a division of media and marketing company Provantage. Director Chris Hitchings says: “Provantage School Media provides brands with the opportunity to engage with scholars and parents directly within their school communities. We already have deep relationships with brands and agencies across multiple categories, and are well placed to offer sponsorships, branding, and activations within the school environment. The fact that schools sport is now being broadcast widely on SuperSport Schools is providing broader audience access for brands, and Provantage School Media can assist schools with managing and amplifying their commercial programmes on the ground.”
Proud media partners for the tournament are Jacaranda FM and Netwerk24. “It is a great honour and privilege for Netwerk24 to be involved in our school communities. Along with the players, parents, and grandparents, we are excited to see what this prestigious competition has in store for us this year. Netwerk24 puts a strong focus on school sport coverage and this sponsorship pays testament to our dedication to the youth,” says Madelein Venter, Customer Success manager at Media24, tasked with marketing and subscriptions for Netwerk24.
The SDC Noordvaal Cup starts on 6 May with the finals taking place on 26 August.
All matches in the Cup competition will be broadcast on the SuperSport Schools live and video-on-demand streaming service. Furthermore, a number of games in the Plate, Shield and Bowl divisions and 13 matches including the semi-finals and final will be broadcast live on SuperSport Schools channel 216 on DStv.
