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A New Zealand company will have to come to the rescue of South Africa's Springboks rugby team if the players are not going to take to the field without their kit.
The South African operation of New Zealand-based sports clothing manufacturers Canterbury has gone belly-up, directly affecting the Springboks and Super 14 franchises the Sharks, Cheetahs and Lions, the Pretoria News reported.
But the parent company in New Zealand, Canterbury International, is expected to bail out the sponsorship agreement with the Boks, said Andy Marinos, the acting managing director of SA Rugby.
"This has come as a huge shock to us but we have been assured that our Springbok kit requirements will be met," he said. "We have had discussions with Iqbal Khan - senior executive of Brimstone, the owners of Canterbury South Africa - to get some clarity on the impact this is likely to have on SA Rugby."
Canterbury last year opened its first retail outlet in Europe at the new Westfield shopping mall in West London. It said more shops were planned for the UK, Ireland and continental Europe, and that the company was also planning to open in New York.
Canterbury lost its relationship with the All Blacks to adidas, which is paying the New Zealand Rugby Union $200 million over nine years.
- NZPA
