English
Springbok Women determined to topple mighty Canada
Springbok Women captain Nolusindiso Booi said her team will enter Loftus Versfeld with excitement and determination when they face Canada at 13:30 on Saturday.
This match also commemorates the 30th anniversary of South Africa’s iconic 1995 Rugby World Cup triumph.
In a landmark agreement, the South African Rugby Union (SARU), SuperSport, and the SABC have partnered to ensure that the second Test in the Castle Lager Incoming Series, set for Saturday 12 July 2025, will be broadcast live on SABC platforms.
"It made sense for the SABC to participate in the 30th anniversary commemoration of that epic match where we won the World Cup. In collaboration with the South African Rugby Union and SuperSport we actually had a discussion where we saw the opportunity for SABC to participate because what's important is that the SABC as the public broadcaster gives an opportunity for all South Africans to be part of this momentous occasion,” Chabeli said.
“Therefore it made perfect sense for us to actually get into this agreement with SuperSport and with SA Rugby Union, for SABC to also co-broadcast this historic match that will be taking place at Nelson Mandela Bay Stadium."
Reflecting on the landmark partnership during the 2023 Rugby World Cup, when the Springboks lifted their fourth world title, Chabeli says that deal with MultiChoice made it possible for the public broadcaster to carry key matches, including the unforgettable final.
She adds that for rugby and other sporting codes to remain truly accessible, strategic broadcast partnerships and shared rights are essential for reaching all South Africans, regardless of income or location.
"Look the reality is that by its nature, when it comes to sports rights, there's quite a lot of money that exchanges hands. If you think about it in South Africa nearly 70% of income for unions comes from broadcast rights and therefore it means that someone has to pay for it,” she added.
“It's important to say that even with this match that we are about to see, the SABC had to get into a commercial agreement with SuperSport to sublicense the match, so that South Africans can be able to have that type of access.
“So, I think the more SABC bills, I think what's important is that we need the assistance for example from government, we need the assistance from our stakeholder to ensure that we are able to bring up a value proposition that will ensure that we are able to acquire the rights to these matches from a free-to-air perspective."
Issued on SABC Sport by Lonwabo Miso | https://www.sabcsport.com/rugby/news/sabc-reaches-broadcast-agreement-for-historic-springbok-italy-clash
