Cape Town - Springbok fans will take to the field on the backs of their heroes at the Rugby World Cup in September and October - as an integral part of the team's playing kit.
The South African Rugby Union launched its #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign at midnight on Thursday night; the centrepiece of which is an innovative scheme to allow South Africans to be part of history.
The #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign is a clarion call to all South Africans to get behind the Springboks as they turn their gaze to England with the aim of becoming the first nation to raise the Web Ellis Cup for a third time.
“When the Springboks take to the field, not only will they be carrying the hopes and dreams of a nation, but they will physically be carrying the images of everyday South African fans with them,” said Jurie Roux, CEO of the South African Rugby Union (SARU).
“The passion of our fans, their determination and their overwhelming desire to see the Springboks win is an almost tangible energy behind the team. We wanted to capture that power in a visible way and this concept will mean that every time a Springbok takes to the field during the Rugby World Cup ordinary South Africans 'will have his back'.”
The initiative captures the essence of the #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign. It evokes the sense that the South African passion for a winning Springbok team transcends the normal boundaries of sports participation to give the team the sense that, wherever they play in the world, they have a nation at their backs.
The #HomeGroundAdvantage campaign was a culmination of more than one year's planning. It was forged in consultation with senior Springbok players, coaches and team management as well as SARU's sponsors and broadcaster partner, SuperSport.
SARU secured the concept through BeMyTeam, the global licence holders of the idea and the facilitation of this into the SA market was done through their African partners, ENSO in conjunction with SARU.
The mechanism for Springbok supporters is simple:
* Visit www.HomeGroundAdvantage.co.za
* Upload a selfie to be on the back of a Springbok jersey
* Spaces are limited
Supporters can also buy an exact replica of the player's jersey - featuring their own image - through the website. The jersey comes personalised with the date and details of the match where their image appeared on the player's back.
SARU sponsors Castle, Tsogo Sun and ASICS will also be fuelling #HomeGroundAdvantage through a series of interactions and touch points as the countdown to the tournament begins in earnest.
“We believe that South African rugby fans with their passion for the team and their unshakeable belief in their prospects will leap at the chance to be a visible part of the Rugby World Cup campaign,” said Roux.
Meanwhile for those wanting to physically give the Springboks Home Ground Advantage in the UK, there are still packages available from SA Rugby Travel, the official travel agent to the 2015 Rugby World Cup. Go to www.sarugbytravel.com to secure a place at the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
As part of the World Cup campaign launch, the Springboks have also launched a new Twitter handle @Springboks for team updates, breaking news and behind the scenes action. You can also follow them on www.facebook.com/Springboks.
SARU Corporate Affairs