South Africa’s most successful rugby franchise, the Vodacom Blue Bulls have received an impressive two nominations for the prestigious Virgin Active sport Industry Awards 2012, judged by a panel of experts after an intense two-days.
The Vodacom Blue Bulls have been nominated for the Virgin Atlantic Best Business Performance by a Sport Team category. Other nominees are the Chevrolet Warriors and DHL Stormers. The Vodacom Bulls is the only South African franchise to have won three Super 14 titles, a feat that has to date not been matched by any other franchise in the country.
The Blue Bulls were also nominated in the Sport Brand of the Year along with five other nominees – Canterbury, EFC Africa, Nike, SuperSport and The Sharks.
In the past few years, the union has been breaking the record books both on and off the field. They officially command the highest number of rugby supporters in South Africa with an impressive 2 949 000 out of 9 644 000 rugby supporters and have seen a steady increase in supporter growth among Blacks, Whites, Coloureds and Indians. They have over 1 000 000 more supporters than their closest rivals. Their Super 14 triumphs have increased the global footprint of their sponsors, resulting in a steady increase in market share and increased profitability and greater return on sponsorships.
Barend van Graan, the Blue Bulls Company CEO, says recognition by key figures in the industry endorses the work done by the Blue Bulls Company to become the most popular and dynamic sports brand in South Africa, especially in a year that a number of top players are retiring or moving on to clubs abroad, which we are in the process of replacing these icons with young and upcoming stars.
“Our vision for the Vodacom Blue Bulls is to be a world class sports brand which results in a two-pronged approach – commercial success and optimizing the performances of our teams. We are delighted that the Sports Industry Awards judging panel has acknowledged our efforts, both on the field and off. Ultimately we want to set a global benchmark and become the most loved and innovative sports brand in South Africa and such recognition tells us that we are on the right track.”
The Virgin Active Sport Industry Awards is regarded as the flagship opportunity for South Africa’s thriving sports market to celebrate its work. Winners will be announced on 23 February 2012 at Emperors Palace.
