Global logistics company DHL has extended its wide-ranging partnership with South African rugby union team Western Province, through which it will continue to title sponsor the Stormers Super Rugby franchise.
The new four-year deal runs until the end of the 2020 season. The Stormers will continue to be officially known as the DHL Stormers as part of the agreement.
DHL will also retain naming rights to Western Province’s home in Cape Town, the 52,000-capacity Newlands stadium.
DHL will continue to promote the partnership through traditional and online media channels to drive brand engagement, with the company to focus on expanding the partnership across borders.
“Having been a partner to Western Province Rugby for the past six years, we consider ourselves an extension of the team,” Hennie Heymans, chief executive of DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa, said. “The partnership has been instrumental in making DHL a household name in Cape Town, and South Africa.”
DHL Express Sub Saharan Africa’s head of marketing, Megan Roper, added: “Sponsorships have evolved from merely showcasing one’s logo. We view this sponsorship as a partnership – an opportunity for us to add value, emotionalise our brand and demonstrate our logistics capabilities.
“We too have evolved from being just a B2B company to being even more consumer facing and in touch with our customers across more touchpoints than ever before, driven mostly by the rise of e-commerce.”
DHL began sponsoring Western Province and the Stormers in 2011.