ADIDAS yesterday announced its partnership with Cricket South Africa (CSA) to become official supplier to the South African national teams and also unveiled the new one day kit which the Proteas will wear during the ICC Cricket World Cup in India, Sri-Lanka and Bangladesh.
Adidas becomes the official sportswear supplier to all South African national teams in a three-year agreement with CSA and will be supplying product which will see the South African Teams benefitting from modern design and cutting edge technology. The sponsorship deal includes the supply of both on-field product and training product.
The sponsored teams are:
- The South African National Team –also known as the Proteas
- South African “A” Team
- Emerging Team
- Women’s National Team
- Hong Kong Sixes Team
The new one day kit – which will be worn for the first time in the forthcoming ICC Cricket World Cup – in green and gold, represents the colours of South Africa and creates a strong team identity. While the replica jerseys for the fans will have the traditional three stripes –the on-field kit worn by the players will not include the 3-stripes due to the International Cricket Council (ICC) rules which prohibit branding on playing kits during their tournaments.
With many months of research and development into the kit, adidas have incorporated new leading technologies including ClimaCool™ and Flowmapping™. These technologies ensure that players will be cool under pressure at the wicket and, because of the way the fabric is cut, they will have freedom of movement on the field.
For the first time in South African cricket history adidas have also made form-fitting kit for the women’s team. The kit incorporates the same technological benefits as the men’s kit but is specifically designed for a woman’s body shape to ensure freedom of movement and ultimate performance.
South African captain Graeme Smith commented: “We have looked on in envy for a long time at many of our international counterparts who play in kit which has excellent fit, is modern and improves performance. With the demands of cricket as they are, technology is vital to ensure that players are comfortable while performing.”
Gerald Majola – Chief Executive of Cricket South Africa commented: “adidas is a leader in technology and innovation and their input will be hugely beneficial in supporting the South African Cricket teams. We are enthusiastic about the partnership and feelsure that our supporters will be delighted with the design of the new kits. “
Gavin Cowley, the Marketing Director at adidas South Africa, said: “adidas has a long tradition of working with top sports teams on a global level and we are delighted to be able to partner the South African Cricket Team with the latest technological product. Cricket is a true performance sport and therefore deserves product that mirrors this.”
Adidas is also fully behind the Lead SA initiative of Pure Protea Fridays. “We welcome the Pure Protea Fridays initiative, particularly because it contributes to national unity and we all saw during the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ what a powerful tool this can be,” added Cowley.
Adidas is also staging a retail competition where consumers – on the purchase of a Proteas replica shirt – stand a chance to win a double ticket to see a match in the Australian series to be played in October 2011. The prize will include a chance to meet the Proteas team.
