By Full Stop Communications
A brand-new sponsor will prop up one of South Africa’s oldest rugby clubs as it seeks to regain its status as a powerhouse of the sport in the Southern Cape.
The 93-year-old Evergreens Rugby Club has packed down with national insurance specialist Multisure Corporation ahead of the 2025 South Western Districts Super League season.
With a new coach at the helm and having retained their place in the league’s A division, the five-time champions are poised to unleash something special when their campaign kicks off on April 5.
The selection of five players to the SWD Eagles squad earlier this year is further evidence of the quality of player at the club.
Multisure has contributed significantly to rugby development at community and school level since 2019 and believes its partnership with the Pacaltsdorp-based club will prove a winning one.
“We partnered with Evergreens as it is an iconic brand in SA rugby, especially in the Southern Cape region,” Multisure CEO Denton Goodford said.
“It has a strong management team and we identify with its vision and values of instilling honesty, integrity, discipline and a sense of pride in the younger generation, who are our future leaders.”
He said community upliftment through sport was close to the company’s heart and over the years it had seen how sport could transform young people’s lives by keeping them on the right track and away from substance abuse and crime.
Evergreens’ first team featured in the A division at the start of last season before a series of defeats saw them being relegated to the B division for the remainder of the year.
However, the team’s fighting spirit came to the fore as they dominated the second-tier competition to take the trophy, thereby ensuring an immediate return to the top section in 2025.
With 120 athletes registered on its books, the club’s playing stocks are incredibly healthy. This enables Evergreens to field teams in the A, B and C divisions with plenty left on the bench.
Its fanbase is equally strong, with the home stadium packed to the rafters every weekend of the season. Evergreens chair Deon Stoffels said the partnership was hugely significant, both for the club and local community.
Pacaltsdorp has many socio-economic challenges, with a large proportion of Evergreens players among the area’s jobless.
They had grown up among the poorest of the poor, Stoffels explained.
This means they cannot afford to pay for playing gear and post-match kit, which is a requirement at other clubs. But now they will receive these items for free.
The Green Machine will certainly be in good hands this season following the return of former player and coach Ricardo Beukes after a 22-year absence.
“I’m really excited,” he said.
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