Gilbert Rugby named Official Match Ball and Licensee of the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series

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Gilbert Rugby, the world’s leading rugby ball manufacturer, has announced a new licensing partnership with the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series.

The new agreement sees Gilbert become the Official Match Ball and Licensee of the 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series, exclusively producing a range of balls in celebration of the Lions Series in South Africa, available for purchase through Gilbert’s unrivalled network of global distribution.

 Gilbert, rugby’s original brand having been producing balls since the game started in 1823, have been a partner of SA Rugby for over 20 years, including the last two Lions Tours to South Africa, in 2009 and 1997.

All Lions Series matches will use the renowned Sirius match ball, as used successfully throughout the Springboks’ famous Rugby World Cup 2019 triumph, with a limited number of official match balls also available for rugby collectors to purchase from www.gilbertrugby.com next month – register your interest below:

Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 – Match Ball | Replica

The Vodafone Lions 1888 Cup – Match Ball | Replica

About Gilbert Rugby
Gilbert Rugby is the world’s longest serving rugby brand having served the rugby world since 1823 and remains a UK family run business at the heart of the game today; trusted by the global rugby family to provide the best innovative products and support to enable players to perform to their full potential. For more information visit www.gilbertrugby.com.

Issued by SA Rugby Communications

Introducing Treble Group UK

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Over the last 21 years, the Treble Group has cultivated an immense degree of experience as a strategic marketing agency specialising in sports sponsorship, rights commercialisation, experiential events, brand activation and communications for leading global brands across multiple sporting codes.

This has enabled Treble to build and grow long-term relationships within the sporting industry, which has seen Treble championing the rightsholders and brands we represent – ensuring we build and manage long-term partnerships that deliver value for the parties involved.

Treble (SA) is excited about the launch of Treble (UK) – a separate business based in the United Kingdom. Treble (UK) will leverage Treble (SA)’s experience, expertise, and where required, business capability to support the establishment of the new business.

The Treble (UK) Executive team are very enthusiastic about building a sports marketing agency with a unique value proposition. The Treble (UK) Executive team has solid global experience, having held senior positions at rights holder, corporate and sports marketing agencies.

Keith Harris, Kyle Nel, Mark Smith and Ben Milhench will be heading up the UK offices. The team bring a wealth of international and professional sports marketing experience that covers Formula One, Football, Rugby, Golf, Pro-Cycling, the Olympics and Esports.

Treble Group’s Managing Director, Kyle Nel, is pleased by this new business development. “We have been wanting to establish the business for a few years now, and feel the timing is right to enter the market. The collective experience, expertise and relationships of this Treble (UK) Executive Team brings to the business is truly exciting,” says Nel.

“This team has held senior positions for rightsholders, brands and agencies. I know what we have achieved in South Africa, and the vision, experience and expertise from this UK Executive team is very impressive. I am confident that by building trust and most importantly focusing on delivery, the Treble (UK) team will add value and build a world-class business,” added Nel.

Revised Castle Lager B&I Lions schedule confirmed

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SA Rugby and the British & Irish Lions confirmed a revised Castle Lager Lions Series fixture list and venues on Friday.

All eight matches of the Tour will be played in Gauteng and Cape Town to minimise the risks of disruption that could be caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The schedule accommodates stable team bases and training venues and significantly reduces travel.

The Castle Lager Lions Series will now kick off in Gauteng (rather than Cape Town) with three matches against provincial opposition before moving to Cape Town for two more warm-up matches before the first Test at Cape Town Stadium on Saturday 24 July.

The Series then returns to Johannesburg for the second and third Tests at the FNB Stadium.

There is one team change in the revised schedule with the Emirates Lions replacing the SA Invitational team. The adjustment was made to reduce the risks associated with drawing a squad from around the country.

SA Rugby is organising all games in the schedule to comply with the regulations on attendance as will apply at the time of play.

The full Castle Lager Lions Series 2021 is:

  • Saturday 3 July: Emirates Lions v The British & Irish Lions (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg) KO 18h00 (SAT) / 17h00 (BST)
  • Wednesday 7 July: Cell C Sharks v The British & Irish Lions (Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg) KO 20h00 (SAT) / 19h00 (BST)
  • Saturday 10 July: Vodacom Bulls v The British & Irish Lions (Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria) KO 18h00 (SAT) / 17h00 (BST)
  • Wednesday 14 July: South Africa ‘A’ v The British & Irish Lions (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) KO 20h00 (SAT) / 19h00 (BST)
  • Saturday 17 July: DHL Stormers v The British & Irish Lions (Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) KO 18h00 (SAT) / 17h00 (BST)
  • Saturday 24 July: Springboks v The British & Irish Lions (1st Test, Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town) KO 18h00 (SAT) / 17h00 (BST)
  • Saturday 31 July: Springboks v The British & Irish Lions (2nd Test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg) KO 18h00 (SAT) / 17h00 (BST)
  • Saturday 7 Aug: Springboks v The British & Irish Lions (3rd Test, FNB Stadium, Johannesburg) KO 18h00 (SAT) / 17h00 (BST)

LSA welcomes Treble as its official media partner

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The Treble Group and Lifesaving South Africa’s (LSA) long-standing commercial and marketing partnership has broken new ground with the announcement that Treble is now LSA’s official media partner going forward.

This new development will see Treble managing LSA’s social media platforms, while also implementing a communication strategy that will be to the benefit of all Lifesaving clubs across South Africa with the key objective to create a culture that will allow the clubs to work together.

The five areas of collective vision that Treble aim to communicate on LSA’s behalf through its various media channels are:

  • The promotion of the sport, including the LSA National Club and Provincial Championships, and a healthy active lifestyle.
  • Promoting the contribution of LSA to South Africa’s beaches, waterways and public swimming pools, while also focusing on young South Africans who sacrifice their weekends and holidays for their fellow citizens and play a crucial role in the prevention of drowning.
  • LSA’s important contribution to job creation in South Africa and the life skills development through its training programmes, which the lifeguards take with them for the rest of their lives.
  • The major contribution that LSA’s services bring to the hospitality and tourism sector, while also playing an integral role in maintaining a high standard of safety in the various municipalities around the country.
  • And most importantly, focusing on youth development initiatives such as Water Safety and the prevention of drowning through our Watersmart Programme.

Treble MD Kyle Nel welcomes the new agreement: “We have always been proud to be associated with Lifesaving South Africa and look forward to building on our strong relationship as we look ahead to a more inclusive digital solution that creates more awareness around water safety and showcases every aspect of LSA as an organisation that massively contributes to saving lives in South Africa.”

Mr Dhaya Sewduth, President (voluntary) of Lifesaving South Africa, added: ”It would be great to showcase the contribution that young members of the movement make by sacrificing their time in a humanitarian effort. The role of our members in service to fellow humanity distinguishes our sports federation from any other sports code. We are about service to our communities before we play sport.

“Furthermore , we endeavour to leverage all social media platforms to mobilize awareness to the recently adopted United Nations (UN) resolution on Drowning Prevention, which will be officially recognised for the first time ever on 25 July 2021,” Sewduth concluded.

British & Irish Lions 37-man touring squad announced

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The moment everyone has been waiting for – as the two-month countdown begins – has arrived with the announcement of the 37-man British & Irish Lions squad to tour South Africa.

Under much anticipation from the rugby world, B&I Lions coach Warren Gatland announced his squad on Thursday afternoon with the experienced Alun Wyn Jones leading rugby’ most famous touring side. It will be the Wales skipper’s fourth tour in the famous red jersey, coming full circle to the same country where he made his debut back in 2009.

Jones is the fifth lock in a row to captain the British & Irish Lions to South Africa, following in the footsteps of Willie John McBride (1974), Bill Beaumont (1980), Martin Johnson (1997) and Paul O’Connell (2009).

Springbok fans can look forward to a festival of rugby in the faint hope that there might be an opportunity to see the action live and witness their heroes claim a series win over the B&I Lions for the first time since John Smit’s 2009 vintage, but Gatland has other ideas.

“We believe we’ve picked a squad capable of winning a Test series in South Africa,” said Warren Gatland, head coach.

 

 

“Selecting a Lions squad is never easy and, in many ways, this has been the most challenging selection I have been involved in. Over the course of the last three weeks the coaches and I have rigorously debated each position.

“We saw some outstanding performances in the recent Six Nations, so competition for places has been tough with some incredibly tight calls to make.

“However, we are very happy with the squad we have assembled and look forward to meeting up in Jersey in just over a month’s time to start our preparation to take on the World Champions.

“We’ve left out some very talented players, which gives an indication to the strength of this squad and we know how important that stand-by list will be.

“Being selected for a Lions Tour is the greatest honour for a British and Irish player and I congratulate everyone named today.”

British & Irish Lions squad:

Backs (16): Josh Adams (Cardiff, Wales – wing); Bundee Aki (Connacht Rugby, Ireland – centre); Dan Biggar (Northampton Saints, Wales – flyhalf); Elliot Daly (Saracens, England – centre); Gareth Davies (Scarlets, Wales – scrumhalf); Owen Farrell (Saracens, England – flyhalf; Chris Harris (Gloucester Rugby, Scotland – centre); Robbie Henshaw (Leinster Rugby, Ireland – centre); Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs, Scotland – fullback); Conor Murray (Munster Rugby, Ireland – scrumhalf); Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland – scrumhalf); Louis Rees-Zammit (Gloucester Rugby, Wales – wing); Finn Russell (Racing 92, Scotland – flyhalf); Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland – wing); Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby, England – wing); Liam Williams (Scarlets, Wales – fullback).

Forwards (21): Tadhg Beirne (Munster Rugby, Ireland – lock); Jack Conan (Leinster Rugby, Ireland – loose forward); Luke Cowan-Dickie (Exeter Chiefs, England – hooker); Tom Curry (Sale Sharks, England – loose forward); Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors, Scotland – prop); Taulupe Faletau (Bath Rugby, Wales – loose forward); Tadhg Furlong (Leinster Rugby, Ireland – prop); Jamie George (Saracens, England – hooker); Iain Henderson (Ulster Rugby, Ireland – lock); Jonny Hill (Exeter Chiefs, England – lock); Maro Itoje (Saracens, England – lock); Alun Wyn Jones (Ospreys, Wales – lock) (Captain); Wyn Jones (Scarlets, Wales – prop); Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints, England – lock); Ken Owens (Scarlets, Wales – hooker); Andrew Porter (Leinster Rugby, Ireland – prop); Sam Simmonds (Exeter Chiefs, England – loose forward); Rory Sutherland (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland – prop); Justin Tipuric (Ospreys, Wales – loose forward); Mako Vunipola (Saracens, England – prop); Hamish Watson (Edinburgh Rugby, Scotland – loose forward).