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Liberty Life sponsors Wanderers
Johannesburg's Wanderers Cricket Stadium recently received the welcome boost of a five-year sponsorship from Liberty Life and is now known as the Liberty Life Wanderers Stadium. The sponsorship will ensure that Gauteng cricket is boosted, through the provision of proper infrastructure and a mix of funding that will ultimately see tangible benefits being passed on to cricket fans.
The stadium, which was built in 1956 and overhauled following South Africa's readmission to international cricket in 1991, has a capacity of 34 000 and hosted a number of World Cup Cricket Games in 2003 including the final.
Looking at the practical benefits of the deal, Gauteng Cricket Board CEO Alan Kourie explains: "The reality is that we do not recover sufficient funding from pure ticket sales at the ground, to meet all our financial obligations. There is also the prospect of pending legislation adding an additional financial burden on sporting stadiums around the country.
"We therefore came to the realisation that to maintain Wanderers at the world-class level at which it currently operates, we would need to enter into a partnership with a top-class corporate. In this regard, Liberty Life perfectly fit the bill.
"Liberty Life's sponsorship will contribute to the maintenance and upkeep of an invaluable cricket platform for the Gauteng area. It will also ensure that the stadium continues to play a key role in the hosting of international events, thus enhancing South Africa's status as an attractive event and sport tourism destination."
Liberty Life Deputy CEO Marketing and Distribution Rex Tomlinson says: "When a corporate sponsorship of Wanderers Stadium was offered, we saw the marketing potential in taking up the sponsorship of such a prestigious stadium. The profile of the people attending the matches at the stadium and the fans who follow cricket is also an excellent fit with our target market.
"The decision to take the naming rights for the Wanderers, and hence an association with cricket was therefore taken against the broad based appeal that cricket has within South Africa."
