SA Rugby Ceo Rian Oberholzer (left) was enthusiastic about the partnership between the Springboks and OMO South Africa, noting its broader significance for the sport and the nation.
Image: Leighton Koopman
In a powerful celebration of resilience and unity, SA Rugby has announced a groundbreaking new partnership with leading global fabric care brand OMO, launching the inspiring #StayUnbeatable movement. This comes as part of a renewed contract with Unilever, which also extends its sponsorship of South Africa’s national rugby teams through Dove.
This partnership marks the first time SA Rugby has teamed up with a fabric care brand, signalling a unique and meaningful collaboration aimed at taking rugby into the heart of South African households.
The campaign was officially unveiled on Thursday during an action-packed event at the Inanda Club in Sandton, where local sports stars, media, and influencers threw themselves into a series of lively, mud-filled challenges – embracing the #StayUnbeatable spirit by quite literally “getting down and dirty”.
SA Rugby CEO Rian Oberholzer was enthusiastic about the partnership, noting its broader significance for the sport and the nation.
“Rugby is more than a game. It’s a test of resilience, endurance, and unity, the attributes with which OMO is associated,” he said.
“This is a new relationship for us in a category we have not partnered with before and one that ensures we take rugby into the heart of the South African household. We look forward to exploring this new relationship in a new dimension for rugby over the coming years.”
OMO's new campaign, led under the #StayUnbeatable banner, champions the belief that challenges – or “stains” – are not obstacles but opportunities. It builds on the brand’s well-known “Dirt Is Good” philosophy, which encourages growth through adversity. The campaign recently launched with a moving television commercial featuring South African Olympian Caster Semenya, whose story embodies perseverance, determination, and pride.
Mphothe Elizabeth Mokwena, Unilever’s Homecare Marketing Lead for Southern Africa, emphasised the message at the heart of the campaign.
“Champions aren’t made in clean jerseys. They’re made in sweat, in struggle, and in the stains of their game,” Mokwena said.
“The game only moves forward if you do. So, you have to keep going. You have to play on no matter how tough the game gets. Because we’ll wash off the sweat, struggle and stains, but the victory? That stays.”
As part of the movement, Semenya now stands proudly alongside SA Rugby as a national symbol of perseverance, demonstrating that the toughest stains in life – the struggles, defeats, and hardships – are often what make champions stronger.
The four-year partnership underscores OMO’s bold new step into the sporting world, aiming to inspire resilience on and off the field. It also sees the renewal of Unilever’s Dove Men+Care sponsorship, which continues to support all national South African rugby teams – a further sign of Unilever’s ongoing investment in the country’s sporting excellence and community upliftment.
About OMO: OMO is a global leader in fabric care, known for its "Dirt Is Good" philosophy. The brand champions growth through experience and encourages people of all ages to embrace life’s messiness. With this new step into the sporting arena, OMO is reaffirming its commitment to resilience, play, and the spirit of pushing forward – no matter how tough the challenge or how dirty the jersey.
As the Springboks and national teams prepare for their next challenges, they’ll do so with OMO by their side – helping them #StayUnbeatable, no matter how messy the path to victory may get.
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