Proud sponsors of the Super 14 Lions rugby team

Leading South African short-term insurer, auto & general Insurance is proud to announce the signing of a three year naming rights sponsorship of the Super 14 Lions rugby team, who during the course of the tournament will now be known as the auto & general Super 14 Lions.

This was announced by the company’s CEO, Leon Vermaak, at a special event held on Monday, 4 February 2008, at the Saxon Hotel in Sandhurst, Johannesburg.

Commenting on the sponsorship deal, Vermaak said: “We are proud to be associated with the Super 14 Lions because as a team, they embody what auto & general believes have been the key ingredients to its own team’s success: a positive attitude; teamwork; passion; commitment; perseverance and, a healthy competitive spirit.

“Auto & General has long recognised the vital role that business has to play in developing and supporting South Africa’s sportsmen and women. Now, through this sponsorship, we can demonstrate our commitment to supporting South African sport.

“We do however see this sponsorship as more than an investment in the sport of rugby and the Lions players. We see it as an investment in our community because we believe that sport is a very powerful mechanism for building a sense of community, spirit and pride.

“Sport is one of the few platforms where people can unite regardless of race, gender, social standing or economic circumstances. Sport brings people together and we firmly believe that this sponsorship will bring us closer as a team as well as bring us closer to our customers and our community".

We also believe that the sponsorship will re-energise our staff and when our staff see the team on the field, displaying attributes such as passion, commitment and discipline, they will be instilled with a sense of pride which will enable them to better service our clients.

“Over 60 percent of our customer base is in Gauteng and, by supporting their regional Super 14 team we can give something back to those who have supported us so loyally over the past 23 years as well as attract new customers to the brand.”

Auto & General, a recognised and celebrated innovator in the South African short-term insurance industry for more than two decades, recently gave its brand a major overhaul to bring it in line with the company’s dynamic culture and forward-thinking, innovative approach to its customers and its business.

The company’s move into sports sponsorship illustrates auto & general’s revitalised persona and its desire to be more visible and accessible to its customers and community.

“It’s a new era for auto & general and we revel in this opportunity to strengthen ties with our customers and, the chance to contribute to building stronger communities through sport,” says Vermaak.

Speaking on behalf of Lions Rugby, Professor Jannie Ferreira, President of the Lions, said: “We are incredibly excited to have auto & general on board as our new sponsor. It’s a new venture for them to be involved in sports sponsorship, and it is so nice to see their excitement. We however, do not view this as simply a sponsorship, but as a partnership. We are therefore looking forward to a great partnership over the next three years. We are looking forward to add value to auto & general’s brand, in the same way we know that they can add to ours.”