The wait is over for eager rugby fans in Cape Town and surrounds, following the opening of a second Springboks retail store at the popular Canal Walk shopping centre, featuring the new range of off-field team branded clothing.
National team stars Babalwa Latsha, Cobus Reinach, Cheslin Kolbe, Frans Malherbe, Lood de Jager, and Selvyn Davids, as well as the Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde, were on hand for the official opening on Wednesday evening, performed by SA Rugby president, Mark Alexander. The debut store opened its doors in Sandton City three months ago.
The store features SA Rugby’s official Nike replica teamwear as well as an exciting new range of off-field supporters wear, designed to be worn “not just on Saturdays”.
“The Springbok store in Sandton has been an unprecedented success since opening a few months ago and we’re very excited to open the second one here in Cape Town,” said Alexander at the launch event.
“This store is more than a retail space – it’s a statement of intent, a declaration of unity, and a tangible extension of the values that define South African Rugby – from grassroots development to the elite level of the Springbok jersey.
“Wearing your team’s replica kit at matches is important but our new off-field offering allows supporters to show their allegiance to the Boks every day – whether at work or at play, smart or causal.
“We live in a time where our brand is often ambushed and used without permission, without contribution and without respect for the journey that brought us here. Let me be clear: the Springbok is not a commodity, it’s a symbol of sacrifice, unity and national pride.
"Those who trade on its image without investing in its future do not build, they borrow. They do not uplift – they exploit.
“This store stands in contrast. It is built on integrity, on partnership and on purpose. It invites every South African to wear the jersey with pride, knowing that behind every stitch is a story of progress, resilience and shared commitment.
“Since launching this new range we’ve seen a massive uptake in fans keen to show their support for the Boks in every kind of social setting – from the office to the braai and at matches of course.
“With Cape Town being one of the busiest tourist destinations in our country, we’re expecting people to flock to this store to buy something that represents one of the best and most famous South African brands, and we can’t wait to welcome them to the Springbok store in Canal Walk.”
The range as well as official team Nike wear is also available at a dedicated official Springbok online shop at www.springbokretail.com for fans both at home and overseas.
The opening of the stores in Johannesburg and Cape Town marks the successful completion of a strategic goal set by the Executive Council of SA Rugby to answer South Africa’s hunger for the Springbok brand. A third store is being planned for Pretoria.
Rian Oberholzer, SA Rugby CEO, said: “We’ve been stepping up our commercial programme over the last few years and the success of the store in Sandton City showed us that the timing was right for us to move into this space, as it’s another way in which we can add value for our supporters, while offering more than just replica team jerseys.
“When we launched in Sandton in July, we made it clear that we wanted to open more stores in due course, and the Canal Walk outlet is the first to follow, where rugby fans can choose from a range of clothing and other items to show their support for our national teams.”