New Balance furthers growth plans with Cricket South Africa extension

Cricket South Africa has struck a five-year extension to its partnership with US sports apparel and equipment manufacturer New Balance.

The agreement grants New Balance exclusivity as the official supplier of team kit and products to CSA, its teams, staff and players, and as the body’s official merchandising partner. The contract will run from 2019 to 2023.

“Our association with Cricket South Africa and the continuation thereof has allowed the New Balance brand to make great strides in its positioning as a global cricket brand, further reaching our goals of becoming a top three global sports brand,” New Balance marketing manager Katharine Stewart said.

“We have taken the opportunity to extend our brand messaging and campaign creation to new markets and segments within South Africa and beyond. By doing so we are experiencing great brand momentum and are positive that with the extension of the relationship, we will continue to enjoy success.”

CSA chief executive Thabang Moroe added: “Their individual sponsorships include our own Dale Steyn, Temba Bavuma, Dave Miller, Wiaan Mulder, Vernon Philander, Imran Tahir, Chris Morris, and Junior Dala. I am sure these players would be the first to confirm that the technical support they have received from New Balance over the years has played an important role in their successes.

“Comfort at the crease is a key ingredient for any successful international cricketer. The demands that Dale’s particular skill requires makes it essential that he can benefit from the industry’s latest technical and innovation advances.

“As we all know most international cricket these days is played on the Asian sub-continent and its surrounding areas where climatic conditions are extremely challenging, and it is important that our players have the most comfortable apparel available to them to allow them to compete at their optimal level.

“A key element of our new deal with New Balance is the greater contribution they will make to cricket development and specifically to our fast-growing Community Hubs and Regional Performance Centre programmes.”