#MandelaMonth: FNB's Brad Guymer on rugby's role in nation building

National Women's Rugby team sings the National Anthem. Source: FNB.

Madiba made sure that rugby became a mirror to our identity as a country, reflecting a desire for the redress of our painful past and hope for our collective future. And, as a bank that’s deeply invested in helping individuals and communities reach their potential, FNB doesn’t take lightly its decision to step up as a steward of the inheritance that the old man left for us as a nation.

Our recently announced role as the principal sponsor of SARU goes beyond a monetary exchange ensuring we can plaster our logo prominently on jerseys, stadiums, and other paraphernalia. As the first corporate entity ever to back all of SARU’s programmes from end to end (including youth teams, Springbok u20s, Springbok Men, Springbok Women, and the Springbok Sevens Men and Women) we’re deeply committed to powering the shared vision and common goal of elevating the rugby and its role in building on the potential of our great sporting nation.

In the 30 years since the Springboks won their first Rugby World Cup, the rugby ecosystem has navigated a challenging path, including pressure to perform, remain sustainable, and to transform. Yet, from those challenges, resounding truths that are critical to carrying forward this new partnership era also emerged.

1. Transformation is not a destination

Over the years, great strides have been made when it comes to transformation in rugby. As a result of concerted steps, we’ve seen the commercial and symbolic success of players like Siya Kolisi and Makazole Mapimpi alongside the likes of Eben Etzebeth and Handré Pollard. Yet, Madiba would agree we mustn’t forget that opening the game to everyone also means ensuring that women’s and girls’ rugby successfully emerges from the margins to front-of-mind among rugby fans both locally and globally.

As four-time Rugby Africa Women’s Cup Champions, the Springbok Women’s team is leading us into the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup. This is a resounding signal that South African women are formidable competitors on the continent and beyond. Players like Babalwa Latsha, the first South African woman to sign a professional rugby contract abroad, are breaking barriers and building legacies that young girls across the country can now aspire to.

FNB sees investment in women’s rugby as both a fundamental imperative and a strategic opportunity. Our partnership with SARU will inject new life into the development of women and girls in rugby, ensuring that the gains made in the women’s game are not fleeting headlines, but the foundation of a truly transformed and representative rugby future.

2. Grassroots is the cornerstone of legacy

We often celebrate the glory of the Springboks, but we sometimes forget that their stories begin in the dusty fields of townships like Zwide, humble high schools in provinces like Limpopo, and with volunteer coaches in communities like the Cape Flats.

MTN pledges R30m to nurture the next Siya Kolisi

2 Nov 2023

This partnership with SARU not only aligns with our broader sponsorship strategy is anchored on the slogan ‘Grassroots to Greatness’ but it’s also an invaluable opportunity for us to actively live FNB’s ethos of help for South Africans on and off the sports field, regardless of what journey or life stage they are on. At FNB, we not only believe in the role of sport in nation building but we also actively support it with the intent of driving shared prosperity among the often-underserved communities that both our customer bases and sporting champions emerge from.

We’re particularly excited for the opportunity to rally behind and co-invest in the Springbok Women and SA Rugby’s age-group teams because we understand that empowering women and investing in the next generation is key to building a more inclusive and competitive future.

3. Commercial power must fund social change

As a financial institution, we understand the power of scale. And our position as a long-standing partner to SARU makes us co-architects in a value system that says excellence and equity are not mutually exclusive, and that unity and resilience go hand in hand. For us, sports development is inextricable from the same social development levers that were dear to Madiba’s heart: basic education, job creation, economic growth, and financial inclusion. As a brand and trusted partner, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting and growing South Africa’s sports economy and uplift our communities.

Both banking and the game of rugby are built on trust, precision, long-term vision, and (most of all) on people. We are proud to stand beside a partner who shares the same hunger to evolve, improve, and to lead a more inclusive future.

As SARU’s principal sponsor, we’re not just banking on the Springbok teams, we’re banking on legacy. We’re banking on the vision to build a game and a country where no talent is overlooked, no dream is out of reach, and no community is too insignificant.