FNB RUGBY SPONSORSHIP

• Some seven years ago, research identified a gap in the schoolboy / student market and the concept of the Classic Clashes was an attractive proposition to fill this gap – (FNB had pulled back from this market some years back and ABSA had secured a stronghold),
• FNB entered into this sponsorship / partnership, and initiated the FNB Classic Clashes concept with some 20 schools countrywide. That involved 10 games through the rugby season 10 games being played,
• That number has grown to 40 FNB Classic Clashes in 2008,
• The FNB Classic Clashes concept was developed around traditional schoolboy rugby clashes, and FNB looked to steer their sponsorship focus to enhance these games. This sponsorship also allowed FNB the opportunity to developed relationships with the school, the teaching staff, the parents and the communities around the school. The sponsorship thus offered FNB various business leverage opportunities,
• It was soon recognized that schoolboy rugby had a great following and draws audiences from 1 000 strong through to 20 000 strong crowds,
• The concept took off and six years down the track FNB is enjoying a rugby partnership with 80 schools countrywide,
• FNB, being a proudly South African bank, was keen to extend this concept through to schools which are representative of the various communities that played a good game of rugby and were highly competitive. To this end, FNB included these schools on their fixture list – schools include:
  
  
  • Ndzondelelo High – Port Elizabeth
  • Itembelihle High - East London
  • New Orleans and Klein Nederburg – Paarl
  • Weltevrede and Bergrivier – Wellington
  • Schoonspruit and Wesbank – Malmesbury
  • Carlton van Heerden and AJ Ferreira – Upington
  • Kasselsvlei and Bellville South – Cape Town
  • Zweliyandila and Ntsonkotha – East London

• The FNB Classic Clash concept not only targets the rugby game, but allows the different areas of the school to promote their own school and raise funds for particular projects, and provides a platform to attract spectators to a feast of rugby,
• FNB have taken the concept to a new level and have now included 6 classic clashes on TV – MNet Supersport. These schools enjoy the coverage not only of the game, but have the opportunity of profiling the school and respective traditions,
• FNB didn’t stop there – they partner three Gauteng schools that host Easter Rugby Festivals which attract participation from some 36 schools countrywide,
• FNB has sponsored the inclusion of a “development” team in each Festival and afforded them the opportunity of being part of a Festival that adds a new dimension to their rugby game. Each Festival enjoys TV coverage on Super Sport,
• In addition to the three Gauteng festivals, a roving festival has been introduced, further entrenching the concept to be showcased in the other regions. Example:
• The FNB Grey Bloemfontein Rugby Festival – part of their 150th Anniversary celebrations,
• The FNB Cape Schools Week – part of Selborne’s 100 year celebrations.
• The FNB Grey High School Rugby Festival – part of their 150th Anniversary celebrations
• The FNB Queen’s College 150th Rugby Festival – part of their 150th Anniversary celebrations
• To take this further, FNB identified a need to take schoolboy rugby further and develop student rugby,
• FNB initially partnered two traditional rugby playing universities – the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Pretoria. This sponsorship encompassed the university rugby club, the koshuis league, the development programme run by the university and the branding of their particular stadium. FNB did initially sponsor 5 major inter varsity clashes, but has now moved the focus to the FNB Super Bowl,

o University of Stellenbosch
o University of Pretoria
o University of North West – Potchefstroom
o University of Johannesburg
o Free State University
o University of Witwatersrand
o Tshwane University of Technology
o University of Cape Town
o Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University