Chinese telecommunications company Huawei has furthered its presence in the South African sports market by agreeing a sponsorship deal with the country’s top five rugby union teams.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but Huawei becomes the official smartphone, tablet and talkband supplier to the Bulls, Western Province, Sharks, Lions and the Cheetahs.
In addition, Huawei will also be the official associate sponsor to the Johannesburg-based Lions with its logo featuring on the sleeve of the team’s jersey.
All the unions will receive the latest smartphone offerings from Huawei for players and management. Huawei said it will also provide the teams with performance incentives in the form of tablets and the company’s TalkBand fitness trackers.
Huawei’s product marketing director for South Africa, Yudi Rambaran, said: “Adding to Huawei’s sports sponsorship portfolio we believe this new opportunity will allow us to showcase Huawei’s latest technology which will assist the players in tracking and monitoring their performances.”
In October, Premier Soccer League team Ajax Cape Town reached a two-year agreement to make Huawei its official shirt sponsor. The deal marked Huawei’s first sponsorship move into the South African market.