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Southern Africa’s business-to-business magazine for the sport, outdoor and leisure industries • Vol 35 No 1 • March 2014<br />
State of the South African cricket market<br />
Running products for low light conditions<br />
What do retailers say about holiday sales?
Vol 35 Nr 1<br />
March 2014<br />
www.sportstrader.co.za<br />
On the cover<br />
New Balance’s Fresh Foam<br />
980 features a lightweight and<br />
breathable construction with a<br />
simple plush upper that keeps<br />
the wearer’s feet feeling comfortable<br />
and protected.<br />
The midsole offers cushioning<br />
properties and stability in<br />
a more minimal package. It is<br />
engineered to bring natural underfoot<br />
geometries alongside<br />
a cushioned ride with a blend<br />
of soft, responsive foam. Its<br />
blown rubber outsole is durable,<br />
flexible and has a 4mm<br />
natural drop last that provides<br />
a light and stable ride. This<br />
shoe has a unique spray paint<br />
finish with a fresh eye-catching<br />
design.<br />
Contact New Balance on Tel:<br />
021 705 6224.<br />
Publisher:<br />
Nicol du Toit<br />
Editor:<br />
Carin Hardisty<br />
Managing editor: Trudi du Toit<br />
Proofreader:<br />
Liz Milburn<br />
Features: Johann du Toit, Nicol<br />
du Toit, Rhianah Fredericks,<br />
Trudi du Toit, Yamkela Mkebe<br />
Design:<br />
Carin Hardisty,<br />
Photography:<br />
Nicol du Toit<br />
Advertising:<br />
Nicol du Toit<br />
Subscriptions: Carin Hardisty<br />
Printing:<br />
ABC Press<br />
Distribution:<br />
Tunleys<br />
Sports Trader is published bi-monthly<br />
by Rocklands Communications cc.<br />
Reg. No: 1997/057165/23.<br />
Members: N. J. & G. C. du Toit<br />
Contact details:<br />
PO Box 12197 Mill Street 8010<br />
22 Rocklands Avenue, Vredehoek,<br />
Cape Town 8001<br />
Tel: 021 461 2544 Fax: 021 461 2549<br />
Website: www.sportstrader.co.za<br />
Facebook: SportsTraderMagazine<br />
Twitter: @SASportsTrader<br />
Blog: sasportsindustry.blogspot.com<br />
Advertising: nicol@sportstrader.co.za<br />
Editorial: trudi@sportstrader.co.za<br />
Subscribe: carin@sportstrader.co.za<br />
Publication information: The<br />
title and contents of Sports<br />
Trader are protected by copyright.<br />
It is a business to business<br />
publication compiled to<br />
inform, entertain and educate<br />
retailers, distributors and manufacturers<br />
of sports and outdoor<br />
equipment, footwear and<br />
clothing. It is available only to<br />
members of the sport, outdoor<br />
and activewear industries and<br />
is published bi-monthly.<br />
© Rocklands Communications.<br />
Industry<br />
12 Super-Brands<br />
Brand ID has bought Super-Brands’ sports<br />
brands.<br />
Holiday sales<br />
20 How did retailers find the holiday season?<br />
Retail trends<br />
22 Consumers prefer brick-and-mortar stores to<br />
buying online.<br />
24<br />
Cape Union Mart<br />
How the chain became so successful.<br />
28 Skins<br />
Chairman Jamie Fuller explains how the brand<br />
grew to be so popular.<br />
30 Puma<br />
The transition from Ronald Rink to Luke Barrett-<br />
Smith as Puma SA MD was seamless.<br />
32<br />
42<br />
76<br />
New Balance<br />
The new management team is one of many<br />
changes at New Balance.<br />
Responsible sponsorship<br />
Sponsors should use their financial power to<br />
ensure better governance and accountability.<br />
Company results<br />
Companies’ trading results.<br />
Sponsors should take responsibility for the<br />
ethics of the companies they sponsor p42<br />
Clothing & footwear<br />
34 Running<br />
What to recommend to runners who run in low<br />
light conditions.<br />
Running range information<br />
What’s new in running brands’ ranges?<br />
40<br />
Regulars<br />
2People 6Brands 14<br />
18<br />
on the move<br />
News about people in the industry.<br />
on the move<br />
News about brand activity in the industry.<br />
Companies on the move<br />
News about companies in the industry.<br />
Shop Talk<br />
Jackson Sports<br />
Highlights:<br />
Sport<br />
44<br />
50<br />
57<br />
What is the state of the South<br />
African cricket market?<br />
Sponsors should be responsible<br />
for those they sponsor.<br />
We provide more information on<br />
the insides of sleeping systems.<br />
Sport development<br />
What are the sport federations doing to keep the<br />
grass roots numbers high?<br />
Team sport news<br />
News from team sport brands.<br />
Product knowledge: Inflatable ball outers<br />
The ball outer affects more than the look of the ball.<br />
60 Cricket<br />
The state of the South African cricket market.<br />
68<br />
Cricket range information<br />
What’s new from cricket brands’ ranges?<br />
Outdoor<br />
70 Fishing<br />
There are various problems that SACRAA can<br />
help with.<br />
Outdoor news<br />
72 News from outdoor brands.<br />
Product knowledge: Sleeping<br />
73 systems<br />
The insides explained.<br />
Outdoor range information<br />
What’s new from outdoor brands?<br />
75<br />
Trade shows<br />
77<br />
Trade show news<br />
News from local and international trade shows.<br />
New Balance has experienced many<br />
changes recently p32
BletchleyPark/5280/ST<br />
A shoe born long before it takes its f rst step<br />
Ramos<br />
Tan<br />
Granero<br />
Black<br />
Ramos<br />
Brown<br />
GAUTENG 082 552 8988, 082 446 7572 | KWAZULU-NATAL 083 270 0256 | BLOEMFONTEIN 072 346 6045<br />
EASTERN CAPE 083 647 6091 | WESTERN CAPE 083 265 6264 | CAPE TOWN 082 677 4098<br />
BOTSWANA (00267) 713 03138 | NAMIBIA (0026461) 081 124 4675<br />
Appearing in Daily Sun & Soccer Laduma in April
p2 :: Industry<br />
People on the move<br />
Jirka Vymetal has succeeded retired<br />
Paul Theron as executive director of<br />
the SA Footwear and Leather Industries<br />
Association (SAFLIA).<br />
Vymetal returned to South Africa in<br />
January 2014 after three years as Jordan<br />
& Co’s Technical & QA Manager<br />
in China. He has more than 30 years’<br />
experience in the footwear industry —<br />
25 of them with Jordan & Co.<br />
He joined the industry in 1982<br />
through Eddels Footwear, which was<br />
part of the Calan Group, before it became<br />
Conshu. During this period he<br />
was trained to understand each facet<br />
of footwear manufacturing, and apart<br />
from studying related courses, he also<br />
spent time to learn suppliers’ businesses.<br />
Conshu bought Sportshoe and Jordan<br />
in 1988/9, and the latter two companies<br />
merged to become Jordan & Co.<br />
Vymetal had specialized in buying raw<br />
materials for Eddels and he continued<br />
to do this for the new merged company.<br />
During his career, Vymetal has been<br />
Dean Gee, CEO of SNT Sports, started<br />
his career in the industry at D.G.<br />
Sports Agency in the early 90’s importing<br />
Talon hockey sticks, Paax golf<br />
clubs and a range of cricket and other<br />
sporting equipment. After he sold the<br />
brands and licenses to Totalsports,<br />
Gee spent time at a Johannesburg<br />
clothing manufacturing business and<br />
thereafter he gained experience in the<br />
wholesale and retail business through<br />
dealings with the Massmart group, before<br />
joining SNT Sports.<br />
purchasing manager, QA manager (implementation<br />
of the then SABS 0157<br />
QA system, now ISO 9001-2000),<br />
production manager and sales admin<br />
manager.<br />
He had also been managing several<br />
brands for Jordan & Co since 2000.<br />
Before his promotion to China, he had<br />
been brand manager for the Jordan,<br />
Fleetwood and the company’s international<br />
brands division.<br />
Brian Kerby will become the GM of the<br />
Asics subsidiary that will be opened in<br />
South Africa some time during 2014,<br />
confirmed Stefan Heinrich, Head of<br />
Emerging Markets for Asics Europe.<br />
Asics and their current distributor, Jordan<br />
& Co, are still in discussion about<br />
the exact timing. Kerby has extensive<br />
experience in the industry with many<br />
top brands.<br />
Hi-Tec SA appointed Mike Farrer as national sales manager. Farrer, (above with<br />
father Buster and wife Janet) grew up in the sports industry in the Eastern Cape<br />
and had been involved in all aspects of selling and promoting sports brands and<br />
products — from retailing, to representing brands like Patrick, New Balance, Canterbury,<br />
etc. as sales agent. His family has been involved in the sports industry for<br />
more than 50 years.<br />
Farrer is a son of the legendary multi-sport Springbok Buster Farrer, and he and<br />
his brother Colin (of LGB Distributors) worked in his father’s King William’s Town<br />
store during holidays while still at school. He still remembers his father selling<br />
the first Hi-Tec models in his store 40 years ago, when he was just a 10-year old<br />
youngster.<br />
After completing his university education in Cape Town, Farrer joined the family<br />
business full-time.<br />
When Morné du Plessis wanted an agent to represent the Patrick footwear<br />
brand, he decided to join the supply side of the industry. Mike Farrer Agencies subsequently<br />
represented various other companies and brands in the Eastern Cape<br />
— like Maxmore, Power, WET Sports, Canterbury and New Balance. He was a regular<br />
winner of the Agent of the Year trophy for the latter brand and has been New<br />
Balance key accounts area manager in the Eastern Cape for the past 13 years.<br />
The Farrers will be relocating to Cape Town, where both their children are at university.<br />
Farrer replaces Sean van Wyk, who joined adidas as national sales manager<br />
after Roddy van Breda was promoted to GM.<br />
After 9½ years with Jordan & Co,<br />
Wayne Stanford, previously Bronx<br />
brand manager, will be taking up a new<br />
position as sales agent for the company,<br />
representing Bronx, Bronx ladies,<br />
Jordan and Bronx Safety shoe sales in<br />
the Eastern Cape and Namibia.<br />
Until a new Bronx brand manager<br />
is appointed, Jordan & Co MD Brian<br />
Pollock will be responsible for the<br />
Bronx men’s and ladies’ ranges.<br />
The sales as well as design teams<br />
will report to him. Before he became<br />
Jordan & Co MD in 2007, Pollock<br />
was brand manager for Bronx<br />
and Olympic.<br />
Morne Strydom has joined Adventure<br />
Inc where his focus is on marketing,<br />
with a role in sales.<br />
He has extensive experience as a<br />
marketing and sales manager in the<br />
Southern African outdoor industry,<br />
most recently as Group Marketing<br />
Manager of Jarden SA.<br />
Strydom joined Beyond Fishing in<br />
2010, which became Jarden SA in<br />
late 2011. He also held previous marketing<br />
and sales management positions<br />
with First Ascent from 2007-<br />
2010, as well as with Capestorm from<br />
1998-2007.<br />
The Kartal Distribution has appointed Kyle Hartman of In2Africa Agencies to represent all their brands (including Flexfit,<br />
Mr Lacy, Blanks, etc.) throughout Africa. Hartman has four years’ experience of introducing sports brands into the African<br />
market.“If done right, the African market is the next avenue for growth for International and local brands,” he says. Hartman<br />
was appointed African business manager for New Balance in 2010. He had joined the brand in 2005 in their outlet stores<br />
and “quickly worked my way up to apparel agent and then footwear and apparel agent.” He had joined the sports industry<br />
from a commercial diving background “so it was a very different industry coming into.”<br />
Ian Wheelwright is the new Hi-Tec sales<br />
agent in Limpopo. He has 10 years’<br />
experience as a sales representative in<br />
the FMCG industry. He graduated from<br />
Capricorn High School in Polokwane in<br />
1999 and has been working as a sales<br />
representative in Gauteng and Limpopo<br />
for Combined Marketing Services.<br />
“The Limpopo region has won area of<br />
the year for the last four consecutive<br />
years,” he says.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
p4 :: Industry<br />
People on the move<br />
THERE HAVE been staff changes at<br />
Sports Trader with Nelle du Toit joining<br />
Iziko Museums to further her online<br />
publishing career and Yamkela<br />
Mkebe joining as our newest journalist.<br />
Du Toit (above right) was responsible<br />
for Sports Trader’s online<br />
publications for the past two years.<br />
Mkebe (above left) holds a journalism<br />
diploma from Cape Peninsula<br />
University of Technology and<br />
has work experience as a journalist<br />
for a community newspaper and as<br />
a researcher for a fi lm and television<br />
production company.<br />
Rhianah Fredericks (below right)<br />
has taken over the responsibilities<br />
for our online publications and she is<br />
supervised by Carin Hardisty (below<br />
left), who is being groomed to manage<br />
all Sports Trader publications.<br />
Hardisty has been “in training”<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
at Sports Trader since high school,<br />
when she assisted with the publication<br />
of the Retail Directory during vacations.<br />
She obtained a B.A. Drama<br />
(technical and management) degree<br />
from the University of Stellenbosch,<br />
after which she joined Sports Trader<br />
as a writer and designer nine years<br />
ago. Since then, she has become responsible<br />
for the design of the magazine<br />
and many of the adverts we’ve<br />
published, as well as writing in-depth<br />
articles.<br />
Fredericks has an honours degree<br />
in English from UWC and<br />
taught in rural Limpopo before joining<br />
Sports Trader as an intern in<br />
the beginning of last year. She has<br />
become a valuable staff member,<br />
responsible for most of the online<br />
newsletter copy and several interesting<br />
in-depth articles.<br />
Reebok has signed<br />
champion obstacle<br />
racer Claude Eksteen<br />
who will be wearing<br />
their technical apparel<br />
and performance<br />
shoes in all future obstacle<br />
races.<br />
Before starting obstacle<br />
racing in 2013,<br />
Eksteen competed on<br />
the international triathlon<br />
circuit, achieving<br />
various international<br />
and local victories. He later switched to trail running, where he reached<br />
elite ranks and became one of the best trail runners in the country.<br />
World record holder and adidas<br />
running ambassador,<br />
Wilson Kipsang, will be coming<br />
to Cape Town in April to<br />
support this year's Old Mutual<br />
Two Oceans Marathon participants.<br />
Kipsang competed in and won<br />
every race in which he ran last<br />
year in adizero adios Boost —<br />
including the NYC Half Marathon<br />
(1:01:02) and the Berlin<br />
Marathon (WR 2:03:23).<br />
Dunlop’s Dominika Cibulkova<br />
(#13 in women’s tennis at time<br />
of going to print) created an<br />
upset in the Australian Open<br />
by beating some of the world’s<br />
best players to reach the fi nal,<br />
where she was beaten by China’s<br />
Li Na. Cibulkova is the fi rst<br />
Slovakian woman tennis player<br />
to reach the fi nal of a Grand<br />
Slam.<br />
She plays with a Dunlop Biomimetic<br />
M4.0 racket.<br />
Wilson players, Grigor Dimitrov and Simona<br />
Halep are up-and coming tennis<br />
stars, who are improving their rankings<br />
in the ATP and WTA singles.<br />
Inov-8, locally distributed by Rebel<br />
Elite Fiteness, has signed<br />
two of the world’s fi ttest athletes:<br />
Anna Tunnicliffe (Olympic<br />
gold medalist in the laser radial<br />
class and two-time World Sailor<br />
of the Year) and Dan Bailey<br />
(a former track and fi eld star at<br />
Ohio University).<br />
Tunnicliffe (left) made her debut<br />
at the CrossFit Games last<br />
July and reached ninth position,<br />
while Bailey placed eighth.<br />
They will wear shoes from inov-8’s<br />
F-Lite and Fastlift ranges<br />
in 2014.<br />
New Balance SA has signed Protea<br />
Cricket player, David Miller, who will<br />
be using their bats and other items on<br />
the pitch.<br />
Miller made his debut in 2010, when<br />
he replaced Jacques Kallis in a game<br />
against the West Indies and scored<br />
tops in the T20 (his fi rst).<br />
By the 2011/2012 season, Miller averaged<br />
68 with the bat and was contracted<br />
to the Kings XI Punjab. He also<br />
plays for Yorkshire England in their<br />
C<br />
domestic league.<br />
In the 2013 IPL, Miller hit 101 off 38<br />
M<br />
balls in a game against Bangalore, the<br />
third fastest ever recorded in the Y history<br />
of the IPL.<br />
Dimitrov has won<br />
his fi rst career ATP<br />
World Tour title (in<br />
Stockholm) and has<br />
reached a new career<br />
high of #19 on<br />
the ATP singles rankings.<br />
Halep has beaten<br />
former US Open<br />
Champion, Samantha<br />
Stosur in Moscow<br />
to claim her fi fth WTA title of the<br />
year. She is now ranked #10 on the<br />
WTA singles table.<br />
Skechers, locally distributed by Footwear<br />
Trading, has renewed their sponsorship<br />
of Olympic Silver medallist<br />
long distance runner, Meb Kefl ezighi.<br />
The athlete will remain the offi cial<br />
brand ambassador of the GOrun line<br />
till the end of 2016 and will also continue<br />
working with the Skechers Performance<br />
Division, testing and developing<br />
new products. Skechers is also<br />
launching a GO MEB running shoe line<br />
in his honour.<br />
CM<br />
MY<br />
CY<br />
CMY<br />
K
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perfect for printing.<br />
At Fruit of the Loom, all of our T-shirts are designed for print and garment decoration.<br />
To give you a perfect canvas for print quality, all of our 100% cotton T-Shirts are produced<br />
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With a variety of styles and colours, we have a T-Shirt that’s perfect for your print<br />
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For more information visit www.fruitoftheloom.co.za<br />
Authorised Distributor
p6 :: Industry<br />
Brands on the move<br />
New Balance Klum collaboration<br />
Lite Optec distributes True Utility<br />
LITE OPTEC is the new local<br />
distributor of True Utility,<br />
a comprehensive range of<br />
practical, high quality pocket<br />
tools.<br />
The minimalist products,<br />
which include windproof lighters,<br />
LED Torches, multi-tools,<br />
knives, pocket tools, key ring<br />
accessories, etc. have been<br />
available in the UK since the<br />
brand was founded in Bournemouth<br />
in 2000.<br />
It has grown into one of the<br />
UKs biggest pocket tool suppliers<br />
and is currently available in<br />
more than 3 000 UK stores and<br />
more than 20 other countries.<br />
All products in the True Utility<br />
range come with a one year<br />
guarantee.<br />
“We are extremely proud and<br />
excited to announce that as of<br />
January 2014 we have added<br />
True Utility to our portfolio of<br />
quality brands,” says Aiden Romanis,<br />
sales director of Lite Optec.<br />
NEW BALANCE’S latest collaboration is with<br />
Heidi Klum, who has designed a footwear and<br />
apparel range called Heidi Klum for New Balance.<br />
The footwear consists of both lifestyle and<br />
performance styles and is designed with floral<br />
prints and open mesh fabric.<br />
The apparel line features items from hoodies<br />
to capri pants.<br />
The range aims to capture Klum’s appearance,<br />
which is a mixture of sport performance<br />
and elegance. “I live an active lifestyle and<br />
love running around whether it’s outside on<br />
the streets of New York City or in the canyons<br />
with my dogs,” says Klum.<br />
Gear up Get out with K-Way and VOB<br />
Reebok partners with Les Mills<br />
REEBOK HAS partnered with world renowned<br />
group fitness programmer, Les Mills, to<br />
strengthen their Studio Fitness Category with<br />
a younger, more contemporary feel and approach.<br />
Since its creation by New Zealand-born Les<br />
Mills in 1968, studio fitness has become popular<br />
in the global fitness industry, with millions<br />
of people (globally) participating in Les Mills<br />
classes weekly.<br />
Reebok and Les Mills products will soon be<br />
available through selected retailers.<br />
New TomTom app<br />
Fittest competition<br />
Photo: JH de Beer<br />
THE FITTEST in Cape Town event, sponsored<br />
by Reebok and hosted by Cape CrossFit, took<br />
place at the beginning of February and saw<br />
300 people participating. For the first time,<br />
the event was a two-part competition with a<br />
qualification round for the main event.<br />
Photo: Pierre de Villiers<br />
CAPE UNION Mart’s K-Way and VOB Running<br />
Club — the largest running club in the Western<br />
Cape — have signed a partnership.<br />
VOB hosts 20 weekly events, including morning<br />
and evening runs, time trials, track sessions,<br />
trail runs and social events and members<br />
and non-members alike are welcome.<br />
They also have a talented development squad<br />
of committed development runners.<br />
“The spirit behind the K-Way brand is for customers<br />
to Gear up. Get out and that’s why we<br />
decided to extend our athletic relationships to<br />
include VOB Running Club. Runners and walkers<br />
can Gear up with K-Way and Get out with<br />
VOB,” says Nick Bennett, marketing manager.<br />
TOMTOM HAS introduced their MySports app that allows users to automatically upload performance<br />
information — such as distance, time and calories, etc. — from their TomTom Runner or<br />
Multi-Sport GPS watch via bluetooth technology. Users can also download the latest QuickGPSFix<br />
satellite data to these watches. Activity and training histories, as well as TomTom MySports,<br />
Runkeeper and MapMyFitness are instantly uploaded to community platforms — allowing runners,<br />
cyclists and swimmers to keep track of their fitness goals.<br />
The app is free to download and available to iPhone and iPad users with iOS 6 and above.<br />
An Android version will also become available at a later date.<br />
TomTom’s local service — operated by Regenersis — offers customers<br />
a local repair centre, pick up and drop off services<br />
to anywhere in the country, 48 hours of turnaround time<br />
(excluding transportation) as well as a two year warranty<br />
on repairs has been improved. It now includes a walk-in<br />
service where customers can have products serviced while<br />
they wait. If the item takes longer than expected, they will<br />
courier it back to the customer’s address within 48 hours. The<br />
local service centre is situated in Midrand, Gauteng.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
MUST-HAVE SNEAKERS<br />
®<br />
Levi’s Dunk and Pitch Mono Canvas Sneakers are available from Footwear Trading 011 630 400
p8 :: Industry<br />
Brands on the move<br />
Black Diamond clothing<br />
BLACK DIAMOND Equipment, locally distributed<br />
by Ram Mountaineering, is well known<br />
for their quality climbing, skiing and mountain<br />
sports equipment. Now they have launched an<br />
apparel range, which will live up to the expectation<br />
people have of Black Diamond products.<br />
The apparel line is built around three primary<br />
focus areas:<br />
• Fit: the shape is slim and athletic and cut to<br />
ensure a close, but comfortable, fit.<br />
• Form: the lines are clean and simplistic.<br />
• Function: the materials and features are<br />
decided based on the benefits that they add.<br />
The range launched with a winter range in<br />
the northern hemisphere in August. Now in<br />
2014, the range has almost doubled in size,<br />
with a focus on summer alpinism and modern<br />
cragwear. A small tight range will launch<br />
in South Africa in the first half of the year,<br />
featuring climber-inspired casual shirts and<br />
pants, and some market leading soft shell gar-<br />
ments created in Schoeller textiles with Nanosphere<br />
technology.<br />
More apparel will be launched during the<br />
year, and retailers can look forward to an expanded<br />
range for men and women, which feature<br />
Polartec, Primaloft,<br />
Gore-Tex and Gore<br />
WindStopper.<br />
Reebok distributes New Era<br />
REEBOK HAS obtained the rights to distribute<br />
the New Era headwear brand in South Africa.<br />
New Era has its heritage rooted in sport, as<br />
the official on-field cap of Major League Baseball,<br />
but the brand also has a<br />
strong fashion following.<br />
The brand was<br />
founded in 1920 and<br />
produces more than<br />
35-m caps each year.<br />
New Balance launches Runnovation<br />
Adidas sues Under Armour US<br />
ADIDAS IS suing Under Armour, claiming<br />
they violated at least ten of their<br />
patents related to their miCoach fitness<br />
concept and related electronic devices after<br />
acquiring Map My Fitness last year.<br />
Adidas says the UA Armour39 products<br />
violate their patents and Under Amour<br />
gained knowledge of their products after<br />
hiring a former adidas product manager.<br />
The Simpsons Chuck Taylor All<br />
Star collection<br />
CONVERSE HAS announced a new collaboration<br />
with The Simpsons, the longest running<br />
scripted show in television history. Converse<br />
is locally distributed by Skye Distribution.<br />
The Simpsons Chuck Taylor All Star collection<br />
features custom graphics of Homer,<br />
Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie that were specially<br />
chosen for the collection.<br />
The men’s Homer sneaker has a blue and<br />
black background with a print of Homer exclaiming<br />
D’oh! on one side and Woo Hoo! on<br />
the other side of the shoe. The Bart sneaker<br />
is available in children and adult sizes and<br />
features Bart writing I will not waste chalk<br />
on a black background, which resembles<br />
the notorious Springfield Elementary School<br />
chalkboard. The Family sneaker features all<br />
the members of The Simpsons’ household.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
Kappa’s slim fit<br />
team wear<br />
KAPPA WILL be<br />
delivering their<br />
new range of slim<br />
fit fleece tracksuit<br />
pants and hoodies<br />
to retailers in<br />
March.<br />
The brushed fleece<br />
range is made of 60%<br />
cotton and 40% polyester<br />
and features an embroidered<br />
Omni logo.<br />
Andrew Kallis, head of product and marketing Taylor-<br />
Made Golf, hands Altus Kapp from Scratch Golf the<br />
fi rst prize of R10 000 and a chance to play in the<br />
2014 Mauritius Open he won in the TaylorMade Staff<br />
Invitationals — a series of golf tournaments across<br />
the country to reward loyal customers and thank oncourse<br />
professionals. They also raised R100 000 for<br />
the Red Cross Children’s Hospital and donated R25<br />
000 to various other charities.<br />
NEW BALANCE has launched a global brand<br />
campaign — Runnovation — which documents<br />
New Balance athletes and ordinary<br />
people pushing their limits in search of<br />
excellence.<br />
Runnovation is a new word that describes<br />
the act of running and how it has evolved.<br />
It has become more social, interesting and<br />
unpredictable.<br />
The campaign will follow three story<br />
lines: how running is evolving into a more<br />
social and participatory sport (through<br />
focus on grassroots training group), how<br />
athletes are challenging the limits of sport<br />
(through New Balance athlete Anton Krupricka)<br />
and looking at the latest innovative<br />
technologies that continue revolutionizing<br />
running from a product and design standpoint<br />
(through the innovation studio at<br />
New Balance Lawrence, MA office).<br />
The Runnovation campaign will also highlight<br />
fall 2014 New Balance footwear and<br />
apparel products such as the Tri-Viz collection<br />
that highlights athletes in low light<br />
conditions, as well as an update to their<br />
880V3, neutral cushioning shoe.
p10 :: Industry<br />
Brands<br />
on the move<br />
Shaun Pollock designs a sports hat<br />
WITH A light skin and a love for<br />
sport that keeps him in the<br />
sun for long hours, Shaun<br />
Pollock knows how crucial<br />
it is for a sportsman to<br />
have a hat that keeps him<br />
protected, but does not<br />
interfere with his sport.<br />
Now that the former Proteas<br />
cricket captain has retired<br />
as fast bowler and<br />
batsman, Pollock spends<br />
hours on the golf course.<br />
“The serious side to this is that<br />
your skin takes a hammering in<br />
the sun without the right protective<br />
gear,” he says. “I had to find<br />
a more stylish alternative to the<br />
practical, but bulky ,cricket floppy<br />
and the peak cap, which<br />
offers no protection to<br />
the ears and neck.”<br />
He therefore designed<br />
a peak type hat with a<br />
narrow rim that does not<br />
cause any obstruction<br />
while playing sport, yet<br />
offers maximum protection,<br />
including anti-UV, is<br />
light, and also looks good.<br />
“It allows your head to move<br />
without feeling restricted, allows<br />
maximum sight and has a waterproof<br />
element,” he says.<br />
The Polly hat is distributed by<br />
Co-Lab Industries.<br />
New Hi-Tec launches<br />
HI-TEC’S LAUNCHED several<br />
new products for<br />
the outdoor fan.<br />
The Altitude Vi<br />
(right)men’s<br />
and ladies’<br />
hiking boot<br />
is an update<br />
of the original<br />
Altitude, which was created almost<br />
a decade ago. The updates<br />
include improved durability and<br />
performance, and a new patented<br />
i-shield technology, which<br />
renders the boot hydrophobic,<br />
yet breathable. A new addition<br />
to the Altitude series is the Sport<br />
i, which also features the i-shield<br />
waterproofing technology.<br />
For the ladies, Hi-Tec has<br />
launched the Satomi 3L softshell<br />
and Pour Off shell.<br />
The Satomi 3L ladies<br />
softshell features<br />
a<br />
flattering,<br />
feminine cut in<br />
peach,<br />
docker<br />
or black. The<br />
100% polyester,<br />
4-way stretch<br />
3-layer fabric<br />
has waterproof<br />
breathable<br />
lamination.<br />
The Pour Off is a multi-purpose<br />
lightweight shell, available in<br />
blush, with a 100% polyester Dri-<br />
Tec ripstop shell, and a<br />
wicking polyester and taffeta<br />
lining.<br />
The 3-in-1 Storm Parka<br />
jacket is available in a<br />
men’s and ladies’ style. It<br />
has a 100% polyester Dri-<br />
Tec ripstop shell, and<br />
a polyester mesh and<br />
nylon taffeta lining.<br />
The 3-in-1 has fully taped<br />
seams and a three-way adjustable<br />
attached hood, with an integrated<br />
stand-up collar.<br />
The jacket features pit<br />
zip venting,<br />
a zip out<br />
fleece lining<br />
and a single<br />
hand draw<br />
cord ad-<br />
justable<br />
hem.<br />
The<br />
Calipso<br />
baselayer, for<br />
men and women, is 75%<br />
nylon and 25% polyester<br />
and is available in black.<br />
The Herman baselayer<br />
is made from Coolmax<br />
fabric (70% polyester,<br />
22% nylon and 8% elastin).<br />
It has been specially<br />
constructed for improved<br />
comfort and better moisture<br />
management.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
p12 :: Industry<br />
Brand ID buys<br />
Cuan Chelin<br />
Super-Brands<br />
Some of South Africa’s most iconic sports brands have<br />
found a new home and owner, but will keep the same<br />
management teams. Story & photo: Nicol du Toit<br />
In a mere six years, Super-Brands had<br />
established themselves as a major distributor<br />
of sporting goods in South Africa,<br />
supplying leading brands in most<br />
sporting codes. From April 1 this year,<br />
this division will become part of the Seardel<br />
Investment Corporation.<br />
Just before we went to press, Cuan Chelin,<br />
CEO of Super-Brands, confirmed that an<br />
agreement was reached to sell their sports<br />
distribution business to Seardel Investment<br />
Corporation. He explained that they had been<br />
in discussions with the Seardel Group for some<br />
months, because they targeted Speedo as a<br />
brand that they would have liked to distribute<br />
in Southern Africa. They identified Speedo as<br />
a perfect fit with their other sports brands.<br />
Same strategy<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
There is a huge opportunity<br />
to leverage each other’s<br />
strengths<br />
It transpired that both companies had embarked<br />
on the same strategy and they considered<br />
other options, but eventually Seardel<br />
made them an offer to take over their sports<br />
brands. Both parties agreed that this is the<br />
best deal as far as doing justice to the brands<br />
is concerned.<br />
The Super-Brands brands will be housed<br />
within Brand ID Ignite, which is a full subsidiary<br />
of Seardel. Du Toit Botes and Steve Gallienne,<br />
who head the two Super-Brands sports<br />
divisions, will report directly to Wayne Bebb,<br />
CEO of Brand ID Ignite. The brand management<br />
teams will move to the Brand ID offices<br />
in Wembley Square and the logistics and supply<br />
chain team will be housed in their operational<br />
centre in Epping, Cape Town.<br />
The Handicap Network Africa, SportingBet<br />
and Toy Kingdom divisions will remain with Super-Brands.<br />
Chelin said that they will continue<br />
to seek other acquisitions in the retail, online,<br />
interactive and technical industries.<br />
Super-Brands bought Dunslaz in 2008, obtained<br />
the Canterbury distribution rights in<br />
2009 and subsequently also acquired global<br />
sports brands Skins, Mizuno and Nathan and<br />
Everlast in 2013.<br />
Same management teams<br />
Gallienne will remain responsible for the<br />
Dunslaz division, which includes brands like<br />
Slazenger and Dunlop (tennis, squash and<br />
cricket), Karrimor (outdoor), Opro (mouthguards)<br />
Ashaway (strings), Karakal (racket accessories)<br />
and Swingball (garden toys).<br />
Botes will continue to manage the division<br />
that consists of brands Canterbury (rugby and<br />
teamwear) Skins (compression), Mizuno (footwear),<br />
Nathan (running accessories) and Everlast<br />
(boxing lifestyle).<br />
Business will continue as usual for all orders<br />
placed with Super-Brands for after 1 April,<br />
says Chelin. Orders will be transferred, along<br />
with any reserved stock, but invoiced by Brand<br />
ID, who’ll be contacting all Super-Brands customers<br />
who don’t have an account with them<br />
to open one.<br />
Brand ID will, however not, be acquiring the<br />
Super-Brands outstanding debtors book and<br />
these amounts should continue to be paid into<br />
the same accounts as usual, says Chelin.<br />
“It’s definitely been an emotional week for<br />
me,” he says. “I am saddened to be moving<br />
away from an exceptionally talented team,<br />
mixed with fond memories of the industry and<br />
relationships I have formed, and yet feel great<br />
excitement about the Super-Brands Group<br />
with additional capital resources to grow and<br />
acquire new businesses.<br />
“Disposing of this part of our business was<br />
no easy decision, but we think now is the right<br />
time to join forces with Brand ID, because<br />
there is a huge opportunity to leverage each<br />
other’s strengths and move even faster towards<br />
what was my long term vision for the<br />
brands,” he says.<br />
“Wayne (Bebb) assures me that they plan to<br />
continue to run the businesses the way we always<br />
have — continuing to do what is best for<br />
the brands, our culture and our customers.”<br />
New Xtri sponsors<br />
CANTERBURY, MIZUNO, Nathan and Skins<br />
— locally distributed by Super-Brands —<br />
are new technical and sportswear sponsors<br />
of Xtri-Series South Africa, which took<br />
place in November.<br />
“Xtri is perfectly aligned with regards to<br />
the high end technical performance our<br />
brands have to offer, from the novice to<br />
the off road warrior athlete!” says Paul<br />
Copson, brand manager.<br />
Mizuno and Skins have signed SA Womans Hockey<br />
player Quanita Bobbs, a student at the University of<br />
Stellenbosch. She was awarded provincial colours<br />
(WP) when she was U14 and has been a regular in<br />
national and provincial youth teams since then. .<br />
Photo: Terry February Photography .
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p14 :: Industry<br />
Companies on the move<br />
Lyle & Scott celebrates 140 with<br />
heritage range<br />
THIS YEAR Lyle & Scott, locally<br />
distributed by Skye Distribution,<br />
celebrates their 140th<br />
trading year.<br />
The brand’s heritage dates<br />
back to 1874 when William<br />
Lyle and Walter Scott founded<br />
a knitwear company in<br />
Hawick, a small town hidden<br />
in the Scottish Borders.<br />
In 2003 Lyle & Scott sharpened<br />
up its fit and expanded<br />
the horizons of the brand,<br />
attracting a new generation<br />
of young, talented music, TV<br />
and film stars. The Golden Eagle proved particularly<br />
popular amongst the noughties indie<br />
pop scene and could be regularly spotted on<br />
bands like Arctic Monkeys and Bloc Party.<br />
Deeply entrenched within the trendy global<br />
market — including a collaboration with Christian<br />
Dior — Lyle & Scott grew to dominate the<br />
fashion forward individuals’ wardrobe.<br />
Nevertheless, locally, there was still a demand<br />
for the bygone classic argyle knits.<br />
It is because of this demand that this year Skye<br />
Distribution decided to design a range catering<br />
to the requests of local customers and retailers.<br />
All products were produced using 100% lambswool,<br />
and manufactured in Madagascar and Mauritius.<br />
Centenary year for Brooks<br />
BROOKS WILL be celebrating their centenary<br />
this year by moving into two new headquarters:<br />
in the US they are moving into a new<br />
green building on the Burke-Gilman Trail<br />
in Seattle, while the EMEA (Europe, Middle<br />
East and Africa) headquarters are moving to<br />
Amsterdam, which is centrally situated and<br />
within easy reach of Europe’s biggest running<br />
markets.<br />
They will this year be targeting sales growth<br />
in the EMEA region, where Brooks’ sales grew<br />
27% in 2013. David Bohan, current Brooks<br />
COO and president, will become president<br />
of Brooks EMEA. In South Africa — part of the<br />
EMEA region — Brooks is distributed by Clive<br />
and Michelle Chowles of SBR Agencies.<br />
“We have been very pleased with the growth<br />
shown in Brooks since we were appointed the<br />
South African distributor in late 2011 (product<br />
in-store from July 2012),” says Michelle<br />
Chowles. “Our focus and success in Speciality<br />
Running Stores (SRAs) is aligned to the international<br />
strategies and we continue to grow our<br />
distribution points in South Africa, making the<br />
brand more accessible to all runners.”<br />
Despite tough economic conditions, the<br />
brand grew their global sales by 17% in 2013<br />
— since it became a standalone company in<br />
Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Group<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
Adidas World Cup kit<br />
ADIDAS HAVE launched the 2014<br />
FIFA World Cup Brazil kits of seven of<br />
the teams that will be wearing the<br />
three stripes: Argentina (pictured<br />
right), Colombia, Germany, Japan,<br />
Mexico, Russia and Spain<br />
(pictured left).These eyecatching<br />
kits are the lightest adidas has ever created.<br />
Adizero technology produces lighter kits<br />
and an improved fit, enabling players to be<br />
faster and more comfortable on the pitch.<br />
The 2014 FIFA World Cup federation kits are<br />
more than 40% lighter than equivalent 2012<br />
kits. Weight has been removed from the main<br />
jersey, collars and sleeve cuffs, as well as the<br />
national federation crests — even from the<br />
adidas three stripes. The shorts are now also<br />
made with a new woven lightweight fabric for<br />
increased breathability and a lighter waistband.<br />
These innovations will give the players<br />
extra freedom of movement and comfort,<br />
while retaining resilience and durability.<br />
The design of the kits are based on feedback<br />
from the next generation fans in each country,<br />
after adidas asked young people to explain<br />
what made them proud of their country. This<br />
was translated into the kit designs for each<br />
country.<br />
For the Russians it was the inspirational<br />
feats of Russian cosmonauts in the 1960s,<br />
and for the Argentinians, independence. The<br />
Argentinian kit takes its inspiration from the<br />
in 2011, Brooks reported sales growth of 34%<br />
in 2012 and 34% in 2011. Brooks’ results were<br />
formerly reported in the annual Berkshire<br />
Hathaway report as part of Fruit of the Loom,<br />
which includes Russell Athletic, the Brooks<br />
owner since 2004. Brooks became part of Warren<br />
Buffett’s assets when Fruit of the Loom<br />
bought Russell Athletic in 2006.<br />
Brooks has been focusing mainly on specialist<br />
running products since Jim Weber became<br />
CEO in 2001 and has become a market leader<br />
in specialty running stores (SRAs) in the US.<br />
According to market research company Leisure<br />
Trends they consolidated their position<br />
as the brand with the biggest market share in<br />
US specialty running stores (SRAs) with a 29%<br />
dollar share.<br />
According to their 2013 annual report,<br />
Brooks’ neutral running shoes account for<br />
46% of all running shoes sold at SRAs. Sales of<br />
their more cushioned running shoes Ravenna,<br />
Glycerin, and Ghost, grew 72%, 53%, and 52%<br />
compared to last year. Apparel sales grew 16%.<br />
“In South Africa Glycerin, Ghost, Adrenaline<br />
and Cascadia remain the key footwear styles,”<br />
says Chowles. Brooks received several awards<br />
during the past year:<br />
• Ghost 6: Editor’s Choice award from Runner’s<br />
World for the fourth year in a row and<br />
flag created by general Manuel Belgrano, one<br />
of the main liberators of Argentina and a great<br />
hero in South America. The Colombian kit reflects<br />
the traditional hat sombrero, vueltiao.<br />
"#unidosporunpais", meaning “united for our<br />
country”, is written on the back of the colourful<br />
shirt.<br />
The new German kit is inspired by the value<br />
placed in quality and hard work, personified<br />
by the leading industrial architecture.<br />
An engine graphic theme represents the<br />
power of the Japanese team and is inspired<br />
by a turbine with 11 lines, representing the 11<br />
players on the pitch.<br />
The Mexican kit is inspired by Mexican artistry,<br />
wrestling icons and the give it all attitude<br />
of the Mexican country. The new kit is bold,<br />
creative and features a disruptive superhero<br />
style design.<br />
The red colour of the home jersey unites<br />
Spain, while the gold flashes symbolise the<br />
current golden era of Spanish football.<br />
Clive and Michelle Chowles of SBR Agencies<br />
2013 Shoe of the Year award from the Independent<br />
Running Retailers Association;<br />
• Cascadia 8: Editor’s Choice award from Runner’s<br />
World and Best Trail Shoe award from<br />
Women’s Health;<br />
• PureConnect 2: Best Buy award from Runner’s<br />
World;<br />
• 2013 Vendor of the Year award from the<br />
Independent Running Retailers Association<br />
(IRRA) for the third year in a row.
p16 :: Industry<br />
Companies on the move<br />
Makro energy-wise<br />
MAKRO SA has received an award<br />
from Eskom for excellence in its energy<br />
efficiency initiatives. Makro aimed to<br />
save energy in their stores in terms of<br />
lighting, refrigeration, air conditioning,<br />
building envelope and domestic heating.<br />
They also implemented a switch<br />
the lights off campaign and installed<br />
various energy management systems<br />
and technologies that allowed them to<br />
decrease demand by 36% and save 219<br />
000kWh’s of energy.<br />
Specialized stores<br />
SPECIALIZED RECENTLY joined<br />
forces with three stores in the<br />
Gauteng area. The West Rand<br />
Cycles and Concept Cyclery Cedar<br />
Square stores act as concept<br />
stores, while the Complete Cyclist<br />
Bryanston has opened a Specialized<br />
elite store (store within a<br />
store). The stores feature a dedicated<br />
Body Geometry Fit studio<br />
for their customers.<br />
At the opening of the Complete Cyclist Bryanston concept store: Peet le Roux (retail services manager of Specialized<br />
Bicycles Africa), Mike Hewan (partner and manager of Complete Cyclist Bryanston), Cherise Stander<br />
and Scott McKenzie (founder of Complete Cyclist). Photo: Cherie Vale/Newsport Media<br />
W.E.T. Sports’ 30th year sees new faces<br />
THIS YEAR W.E.T. Sports celebrates<br />
being on the SA sports map<br />
since 1984. They have recently<br />
also added a few new faces.<br />
The latest addition to the team<br />
is Lorraine van Heerden (right).<br />
Van Heerden is the friendly face<br />
and voice customers first get to<br />
see and hear. Along with running<br />
the front desk, Van Heerden also<br />
looks after the debtors and creditors<br />
functions.<br />
“On reaching our 30 year milestone,<br />
I want to thank all W.E.T<br />
Sports customers for their support<br />
over the years and acknowledge<br />
the vital role our agents have<br />
played in growing the business,”<br />
says Patrick Franck, marketing<br />
and sales manager.<br />
Leon Lotter has been looking<br />
after the Free State area<br />
for 20 years, Jeff Harman<br />
Kwazulu Natal for the last<br />
seven years, Darren Wentzel<br />
the Western Cape and Namibia<br />
for seven years, Colin Muir<br />
the Eastern Cape for the last<br />
six years and Darryl Dickerson<br />
came on board last year for<br />
the Northern Provinces.<br />
W.E.T. Sports Importers<br />
Celebrating 30 Years<br />
For a wider range of products shown, please consult the latest W.E.T. Sports catalogue. Available NOW<br />
839 Arm Sling<br />
Cool mesh supports the<br />
arm while distributing the<br />
weight across shoulder and<br />
back. Sizes S, M, L, XL.<br />
754 Shoulder Support<br />
Provides compression and<br />
support to the shoulder and<br />
elbow joint. Ideal for rugby.<br />
Sizes S, M, L, XL.<br />
709 Knee Stabiliser<br />
Provides even compression to injured<br />
or recovering knee with ligament and<br />
patella support. Sizes S, M, L, XL.<br />
528 Ankle Support with<br />
Plastic Stay<br />
Re-inforced criss-cross support<br />
ideal for netball, soccer and<br />
rugby. Sizes S, M, L, XL.<br />
725 Wrist Splint<br />
Splint in left and right for carpal<br />
tunnel syndrome and wrist<br />
injuries. Sizes S, M, L, XL.<br />
321 Silicone Innersole<br />
Medical grade silicone for<br />
cushioning and stability.<br />
Sizes A, B, C, D.<br />
330 Cushion Cups<br />
Advanced shock absorption<br />
for heel and achilles.<br />
Sizes S, M, L.<br />
829 Cold Spray<br />
Magic spray in a can that cools<br />
skin fast and relieves pain<br />
quickly. 8oz (225g).<br />
Tel: 021-948 8150 • Fax: 021-948 8084 • sales@wetsports.co.za • www.wetsports.co.za
BletchleyPark/5281/ST<br />
jordanshoes.co.za<br />
Contact : +27 21 590 7005<br />
APPEARING IN DAILY SUN IN MARCH
Shop Talk<br />
p18<br />
Left: Peter Jackson retired after 47<br />
years in sports retail and sold his<br />
iconic store to Poobie Naidoo, whose<br />
impressive Pietermaritzburg store<br />
(above) is as large as 2½ rugby fields.<br />
Poobie Naidoo, right with his son<br />
Gavin, is a former shoemaker and<br />
top class runner who has become<br />
one of South Africa’s most successful<br />
retailers.<br />
New era for landmark store<br />
One of the stalwarts of the sports<br />
industry, Peter Jackson of Pietermaritzburg,<br />
has retired after<br />
47 years in the trade. Jackson<br />
Sports, Pietermaritzburg’s oldest<br />
sport retailer, closed its doors in February<br />
after 81 years and the business has been incorporated<br />
into Poobie Naidoo’s impressive Sports<br />
Wholesalers in Boshoff Street.<br />
The Jacksons have for many years been leading<br />
figures in Pietermaritzburg sporting circles<br />
and Peter is planning on using his free time to<br />
catch up on golf.<br />
He played league hockey, tennis, squash<br />
and golf, as well as cricket for Old Collegians<br />
under Jackie McGlew. His wife, Pat, played<br />
hockey for Natal, went overseas with the Proteas<br />
hockey tour and played tennis for Natal<br />
University. Their three children all excelled at<br />
hockey, representing their provinces and country<br />
at either tertiary or international level.<br />
Know their sport<br />
His father Tim, who founded the first sport<br />
store M.T. Jackson, in 1933, was president of<br />
the SA Golf Union, represented Natal in golf<br />
and badminton, played first class cricket and<br />
was chairperson of the Pietermaritzburg country<br />
club. The AB Jackson hockey field near<br />
Maritzburg College is named after his brother.<br />
Throughout the years, KwaZulu Natal’s<br />
sports people have come to rely on the advice,<br />
quality merchandise and sporty chats<br />
provided by the people at Jackson Sports who<br />
played the sports and knew the equipment —<br />
for example, cricketers Jackie and Robin Mc-<br />
Glew, SA hockey player Greg Nichol and more<br />
recently, Springbok rugby’s Butch James. Bob<br />
Foss (who played SA Country Districts Cricket)<br />
also worked for Jackson Sports and he became<br />
a well recognised figure at polo fields around<br />
the country.<br />
Tim Jackson’s business partner, Dare Osborne,<br />
was a longstanding secretary of the<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
One of the stalwarts of<br />
the industry, Peter jackson<br />
Sport, is now part of Poobie<br />
Naidoo’s top store<br />
Maritzburg and District Football Association<br />
(MDFA). He ran the store while Jackson went<br />
to North Africa to fight in the Second World<br />
War in 1939 and again after his death in 1964.<br />
Peter Jackson, who joined the business when<br />
he was 20 in 1967, took over the store after<br />
Osborne retired in 1975. He was joined by<br />
his brother Tony and Bruce Baxter, and they<br />
changed the store’s name to Jackson Sports.<br />
Five years later, Tony opened a branch in<br />
Durban, followed by another outlet in Westville.<br />
In the beginning of the 1990’s, they<br />
consolidated the businesses, with the Durban<br />
branches trading as Tony Jackson Sports and<br />
Peter running Jackson Sports in Pietermaritzburg.<br />
In 1996 Bruce Baxter opened another<br />
Jackson Sport branch in Victoria Road, and due<br />
to changing shopping patterns, they moved<br />
the Church Street store to these premises.<br />
Later years<br />
In 2011 Jackson moved the store to revamped<br />
premises in Victoria Road, which was closer to<br />
the CBD. His son, Dave’s, Brand X clothing and<br />
promotional gift business moved with him.<br />
Like many other independent retailers Jackson<br />
Sport found trading conditions very tough<br />
over the past few years. They battled with<br />
the economic downturn, rising trading costs,<br />
electricity and other price hikes, and growing<br />
competition from mass discounters and big<br />
chains. Therefore, with both their sons following<br />
their own careers, when Jackson and his<br />
wife reached retirement age, they decided to<br />
sell to Naidoo, who owns one of the biggest<br />
independent sport stores in the world.<br />
All the Jackson Sport staff members will be<br />
incorporated into the Poobie Naidoo business –<br />
with certain sections, like cricket, tennis and<br />
hockey, still branded as Jackson Sports. The<br />
knowledge, dedication to service, and good relationships<br />
with many schools in the area of the<br />
Jackson staff will enhance his business, Naidoo<br />
believes. Over the years Jackson Sports had<br />
formed strong relationships with schools in the<br />
area and they stocked several shops at schools<br />
like Michaelhouse, Treverton, Hilton, Greys, etc.<br />
The Jackson Sport staff will also continue<br />
to offer a racket stringing and repair service,<br />
which includes ball and tennis net repairs.<br />
Naidoo is one of the most successful independent<br />
retailers in the country - his impressive<br />
6 000m 2 sport store in Pietermatritzburg<br />
is the size of a large hypermarket. Apart from<br />
athletic footwear, clothing and sports equipment<br />
from just about every brand, the state<br />
of the art store has a 50m athletic track for<br />
runners to test shoes, and a High Performance<br />
Assessment centre houses a number of specialists<br />
to assist runners with problems.<br />
Biggest independent<br />
The Naidoo’s are also a sporting family: Poobie<br />
is a top class runner who has completed more<br />
than 25 Comrades marathons and is therefore<br />
sought out by other athletes for advice when<br />
selecting new shoes or clothing. His eldest<br />
son, Gavin, who is being groomed to take over<br />
the business, has Natal colours for javelin and<br />
is a good swimmer and athlete. Sharuven, responsible<br />
for their online business, is a swimmer<br />
and his other son, Huban, a cricketer.<br />
They also employ top performers in many<br />
other sporting codes, who know exactly what<br />
equipment or footwear an athlete needs — for<br />
example, a former professional soccer player,<br />
and top rugby, hockey, cricket, etc. players.<br />
Poobie Naidoo is also involved with the development<br />
of community soccer through sponsorship<br />
of the Poobie Naidoo High School’s Cup<br />
for soccer.
p20 :: Industry<br />
Holiday sales<br />
better than expected<br />
Retail sales during the past holiday season were slightly better than last year, although the weakening<br />
currency and worrying economy are cause for concern. JOHANN DU TOIT reports on the results<br />
of the annual Sports Trader survey of holiday sales in the sport, outdoor and lifestyle retail industry<br />
Despite a very tough year, 2013<br />
holiday sales in most sport, outdoor<br />
and lifestyle retailers were<br />
better than expected, responses<br />
to the annual Sports Trader Holiday<br />
Sales survey* showed. Sales were largely<br />
as expected, with no nasty shocks in terms of<br />
sales. While sales haven’t grown exceptionally,<br />
they haven’t been exceedingly bad either,<br />
and have increased slightly since the 2012<br />
holiday season.<br />
The worsening currency value and poor economic<br />
forecasts, however, affected consumers<br />
negatively, which prevented strong holiday<br />
sales figures.<br />
December sales figures<br />
The average response to our survey shows<br />
that December 2013 sales where slightly better<br />
than last year’s, with 50% of respondents<br />
reporting better sales, and 15% saying that<br />
sales were about the same. Slightly more<br />
(15% compared to 10%) respondents claimed<br />
much higher sales, with 20% or more growth.<br />
However, the number of respondents reporting<br />
drastically lower sales (decreasing 20% or<br />
more) than last year has increased by 3.3%.<br />
This would suggest that the gap between retailers<br />
having a good year and retailers having<br />
a bad year, is increasing.<br />
The average responses to our survey over<br />
the last four years concerning pre-Christmas<br />
sales indicate that the growth of sales between<br />
2010 and 2011 was followed by a sharp<br />
decrease in sales growth in 2012 (See Fig 1).<br />
2013 was a better year, with a slight recovery<br />
from last years’ recession.<br />
Retail respondents are not overly positive<br />
or negative about their December sales.<br />
About a third (30%) of respondents had better<br />
pre-Christmas sales than expected, while<br />
30% reported lower sales than expected. The<br />
majority (40%) of respondents say that the<br />
pre-Christmas sales were about the same as<br />
expected. Taking an average of theses results,<br />
it seems that retailers had a fairly predictable<br />
pre-Christmas period.<br />
Taking into account that retailers considered<br />
2012 a particularly bad year, this could mean<br />
that retailers have come to expect the worst<br />
for the holiday season. This is excusable when<br />
looking at the holiday sales expectations of<br />
retailers over the past four years (See Fig 2).<br />
After 2011 largely exceeded respondents’ expectations,<br />
2012 was exceedingly worse than<br />
expected. It seems as if retailers could predict<br />
Most South Africans expect<br />
their spending power<br />
to increase in the next year<br />
how sales would be in 2013.<br />
Although sales were as expected, several retailers<br />
and suppliers within the industry have<br />
told Sports Trader that this year was an especially<br />
tough year, some even stating that it was<br />
their worst year on record. Most respondents<br />
(45%) had fewer customers than expected,<br />
25% had more customers than expected and<br />
30% the same number.<br />
International expectations<br />
According to a Deloite survey** of consumers<br />
in 18 European countries, as well as South Africa,<br />
consumers in many countries are optimistic<br />
about the current state of the economy for<br />
the first time since 2008. Consumers in most<br />
other countries are more optimistic about the<br />
current economy than last year, South Africans,<br />
however, are more pessimistic with an<br />
overall negative outlook of the economy.<br />
After years of considerable growth, retailers<br />
in the European Union (EU) have probably<br />
reached a plateau, according to a report published<br />
by IFH, the Cologne-based institute for<br />
retail research. This could mean that in 2014,<br />
European consumers might be less optimistic,<br />
which could influence South African markets.<br />
Spending trends<br />
In our survey, 75% of retailers stated that<br />
items sold at the middle range of prices were<br />
popular during the holiday season. Functional,<br />
yet expensive, items were also very popular,<br />
with 45% of respondents stating that these<br />
products sold well. This is likely due to formally<br />
employed consumers being less affected<br />
by economical woes and having more cash in<br />
their pockets. According to the latest BankservAfrica<br />
Disposable Salary Index (BDSI) disposable<br />
income increased by 7.6% throughout<br />
the year, up to September 2013.<br />
Lower priced products did not sell very<br />
well, with only 20% of respondents saying that<br />
it sold well in their stores. This could either<br />
mean that South Africans are starting to spend<br />
more on their gift purchases — or that low income<br />
consumers simply didn’t have the money<br />
to buy sport, outdoor and lifestyle items.<br />
The Deloite survey determined that the<br />
average budget per gift for South Africans in<br />
2013 was R310. It should be noted that the<br />
Deloite survey was an online survey, so most<br />
of the respondents would be representative<br />
of the upper and middle class customers. The<br />
relatively high average budget per gift means<br />
that functional sport and outdoor products,<br />
such as clothing and footwear, were within<br />
December sales growth 2010-2013<br />
0.61<br />
0.6<br />
0.59<br />
0.58<br />
0.57<br />
0.56<br />
0.55<br />
0.54<br />
0.53<br />
0.52<br />
0.51<br />
2010 2011 2012 2013<br />
Expectations of December sales<br />
0.6<br />
0.55<br />
0.5<br />
0.45<br />
0.4<br />
0.35<br />
0.3<br />
2010 2011 2012 2013<br />
Fig 1 (far left): The December sales growth<br />
reported by respondents to the Sports Trader<br />
survey improved in 2013, after a sharp<br />
dip in 2012.<br />
Fig 2 (left): In 2013 retailers responding to<br />
the Sports Trader survey expected that pre-<br />
Christmas sales would improve.<br />
Fig 3 (right): The import value of sporting<br />
goods in the 3rd quarter, when most Christmas<br />
and January goods will be imported,<br />
have been rising steadily since 2011.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
Industry :: p21<br />
Most products bought December<br />
the gift budget of the average South African.<br />
This seems to be in line with international<br />
trends. UK-based OCC outdoor conducted<br />
a survey among 30 UK outdoor retailers and<br />
found that the highest selling products, by far,<br />
were outdoor clothing.<br />
The Deloite survey also evaluated which<br />
marketing strategies convinced customers to<br />
buy certain products. On a scale of 0-3 on how<br />
influential loyalty/reward programs are in<br />
purchasing decisions (0 = not at all, 3 = very<br />
influential), South Africans averaged a score<br />
of 2, which is higher than the 1.7 average of<br />
the 19 countries surveyed. Most South Africans<br />
prefer immediate discounts on purchases, instead<br />
of earning points offering gifts.<br />
Online shopping is becoming a popular tool<br />
for South African consumers. According to the<br />
Deloite survey, South Africans spent 21% of<br />
their gift budget online in 2013. This is substantially<br />
higher than last year’s 13%, but still<br />
lower than the European average of 28%.<br />
Even though online shopping has grown,<br />
South Africans still prefer to compare prices<br />
by visiting stores, rather than online on websites.<br />
When buying gifts in store, South Africans<br />
prefer to buy in specialty stores, instead<br />
of supermarkets and shopping malls, which is<br />
good news for independent retailers.<br />
Of the 19 countries surveyed by Deloite,<br />
South Africa has the second highest (after Ireland)<br />
number of users of smartphones and tablets<br />
with which to buy products, with 38% of<br />
surveyed smartphone and tablet users claiming<br />
to have purchased a product in the past.<br />
Millions<br />
48%<br />
13% 10%<br />
luxury<br />
29%<br />
January 2014 vs 2013 sales<br />
16%<br />
funconal<br />
yet<br />
expensive<br />
mid-price<br />
lower priced<br />
450<br />
400<br />
350<br />
300<br />
250<br />
200<br />
150<br />
100<br />
50<br />
0<br />
2010 2011 2012 2013<br />
15%<br />
30%<br />
10%<br />
21% a lot higher<br />
32%<br />
Q3 Sporting goods imports<br />
21%<br />
Main retailer challenges<br />
(>20%)<br />
a lile higher<br />
(20%)<br />
alile lower<br />
(
p22 :: Industry<br />
Retail trends for 2014<br />
Retailing is constantly changing —<br />
but, luckily, not as much as the<br />
annual trend forecasters would<br />
like us to believe … although it’s<br />
always good to know what the distant<br />
future has in store.<br />
Several international studies, however, give<br />
a better indication of the direction retailing is<br />
moving in. These surveys look at expectations,<br />
or what happened in the past.<br />
But, because our consumers usually take a<br />
few years to adopt the latest international<br />
retail trends, we have the benefit of learning<br />
from these reports.<br />
The good news is that brick and mortar retailing<br />
is still very much alive — and is likely to<br />
be for many years to come. Even in America,<br />
where consumers have been buying online for<br />
many, many years, consumers still prefer buying<br />
from an actual salesperson in a store, especially<br />
when buying footwear and clothing,<br />
or specialised sports or outdoor equipment.<br />
Customers prefer store to online<br />
The majority of American retail customers still<br />
prefer to make purchases at a physical store<br />
instead of online, respondents to a 2013 US<br />
holiday shopping survey told research company<br />
accenture (www. accenture.com).<br />
When shopping at specialty retailers, like<br />
footwear and clothing stores, 81% of customers<br />
expect to make the majority of their purchases<br />
at a store instead of online.<br />
The number of consumers exclusively purchasing<br />
items online has decreased by 6% since<br />
2012. An online presence is still important for<br />
retail stores, as 65% of shoppers are likely to<br />
view products online and go to a store to view<br />
and purchase a product.<br />
The major advantages that stores have over<br />
online purchasing are that customers don’t<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
like to pay for shipping costs and they like to<br />
physically see and feel a product before purchasing.<br />
Most US customers prefer to make their holiday<br />
purchases at discount retailers (Walmart,<br />
Target), with 76% of customers surveyed stating<br />
that they will be doing their holiday shopping<br />
in these stores. Customers doing holiday<br />
shopping in specialty retailers seem to be increasing,<br />
from 32% in 2012 to 35% in 2012.<br />
But, while shoppers don’t mind going to a<br />
store, they don’t want to waste time once inside<br />
the store, a ten-year multi-country study<br />
on shopper behavior in retail outlets, showed.<br />
An online presence is still<br />
important for retail stores,<br />
as 65% of shoppers are likely<br />
to view products online<br />
and go to a store to view<br />
and purchase a product.<br />
Quick in and out<br />
The study, conducted by dr. Carl Driesener<br />
from the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute for Marketing<br />
Science at the University of South Australia,<br />
found that shoppers are busy people<br />
who want to spend as little time as possible in<br />
store, buy very few items per trip and are not<br />
particularly swayed by in-store promotions.<br />
This study of consumers shopping in 42 stores<br />
in the US, UK, Australia and China between<br />
2003-2013 showed that:<br />
• Customers visiting supermarkets, usually<br />
buy one item at a time, usually cigarettes,<br />
a phone card or newspaper, while 50% of<br />
visits result in the purchase of five or less<br />
products.<br />
• The average basket size is 11 products and<br />
75% of customers purchase less than 15<br />
products at any given time.<br />
• Generally, approximately 50% of shoppers<br />
visiting supermarkets spend around 18 minutes<br />
shopping. Half of the shoppers visiting<br />
hypermarkets spend approximately 36 minutes<br />
in store, despite the larger store size.<br />
Shoppers visiting specialty stores spend less<br />
than four minutes in store.<br />
• On average, customers only cover 25% of<br />
the floot area of the store they visit. The<br />
larger the store, the smaller percentage of<br />
it will be visited by customers.<br />
• 68% of customers surveyed did not notice<br />
any promotions or in-store advertising. Even<br />
though customers buy products on promotion,<br />
they do not necessarily return to make<br />
the same purchase.<br />
• Consumers buy items they are familiar with,<br />
and although in-store promotions can significantly<br />
influence sales, they are not a substitute<br />
for mass media.<br />
But, if one wants to look into the future,<br />
what will retailing look like in a few years’<br />
time? According to trend spotters, retailing is<br />
going to become much more interactive and<br />
reliant on digital technologies.<br />
Future developments<br />
While some of these hi-tech developments are<br />
already possible, there have been few earlyadopters,<br />
even internationally. But, it is interesting<br />
to see what the future could look like.<br />
• Consumers will be able to see on a screen<br />
what they will look like in a specific clothing<br />
item, and try on accessories to create a<br />
look, without having to seek a change room<br />
to try on the items. Once this technology<br />
becomes commonly available, it could be
Industry :: p23<br />
Despite predictions that online shopping will kill stores, consumers<br />
still prefer to shop where they can see and feel the merchandise<br />
and ask a live person for advice — but they are impatient and<br />
want to spend as little time as possible in a store, some of the<br />
international surveys on consumer behaviour show<br />
a way to lure customers back from online<br />
shopping as the in-store shopping experience<br />
will become more fun, personalised<br />
and interactive.<br />
• Consumers seeking an unique shopping experience<br />
would be engaged in fun activities<br />
and invited to play games in a store, for example<br />
by searching for promotional items.<br />
• Store windows will become touch screens<br />
where customers can play around and email<br />
themselves items from product catalogues,<br />
even when the store is closed at night. This<br />
was already introduced at the adidas Neo<br />
store in Nuremberg, Germany.<br />
• A few of the big brands already offer consumers<br />
the opportunity to personalise or design<br />
their own shoes in their own colourways<br />
or styling. With 3D-scanning and printing<br />
expected to become more prevalent after<br />
the 3-D printer patent expires this year, this<br />
could become a future service offered at<br />
retail.<br />
• It is predicted that show-rooming will in<br />
crease, where consumers will search for<br />
goods online, but just go and try on the<br />
items — especially shoes and clothing — in a<br />
retail store, before buying online. The store<br />
thus becomes a showroom. Although the US<br />
shopper survey shows that this is not as big a<br />
threat to stores as predicted.<br />
For the time being, crime is sadly much more<br />
of a reality for South African retailers than interactive<br />
windows and digital showrooms.<br />
Retail armed robberies increase<br />
Over the past year armed robberies reported<br />
by Consumer Goods Council (CGCSA) members<br />
increased 37% to 209, but burglaries decreased<br />
slightly from 243 to 241, report the<br />
Consumer Goods Risk Initiative (CGRI) business<br />
unit of the CGCSA.<br />
There was also a substantial increase in reported<br />
financial losses due to armed robberies<br />
from R8.2-m to R13.7-m, but financial losses<br />
due to burglaries dropped from R8.9-m to<br />
R8.4-m. Armed robberies in shopping centres,<br />
which include retailers that are not CGCSA<br />
members, showed a similar trend.<br />
Interventions the CGCSA use to help retailers<br />
to reduce armed robberies include providing<br />
advice on CCTV camera minimum standards<br />
and best practice, sending out monthly alerts<br />
on crime trends and syndicates, and a new initiative<br />
to combat shoplifting.<br />
The CGRI is a business unit within the CGCSA<br />
and specialises in retail crime prevention.<br />
Protecting customer information<br />
The POPI act will this year have an impact on how companies<br />
treat information gained from their customers<br />
ONCE THE Protection of Personal Information (POPI) bill becomes law, retailers have<br />
to be aware that there are legal limitations on what customer information they may<br />
gather, store, and how they may use it, says Jana van Zyl of Dommisse Attorneys. As a<br />
rule of thumb, any business should only collect what is necessary for them to achieve a<br />
specific purpose — which should be communicated to customers or potential customers.<br />
And you may only use that information for that purpose.<br />
The provisions of the act can be summarised as follows:<br />
Consent: Organisations may only collect, use and disclose personal information with<br />
the knowledge and consent of the individual.<br />
Limited use: The collection of personal information is limited to what is necessary for<br />
the identified purposes and must be collected by fair and lawful means.<br />
Accountability: Retailers are accountable for protecting the personal information under<br />
their control and must ensure that adequate safeguards are in place.<br />
Access: An individual has the right to access his/her personal information in your possession,<br />
subject to legislated exceptions, and has the right to seek correction of information<br />
or the withdrawal of permission.<br />
Purpose: The purposes for the collection of personal information must be identified<br />
prior to or during the collection.<br />
In practical terms, a retailer would be affected in the following ways:<br />
• Making a copy of a customer’s ID document: “The retailer has to justify why he should be<br />
entitled to collect the information. Do they really need a copy of a customer’s ID<br />
document or is it sufficient for that customer to merely display the document?” says<br />
Van Zyl. “If they don’t need a copy, why keep it?”<br />
• Even if you can justify why you need a copy of the document, you may only use it for<br />
that purpose you collected it for, namely to verify identity. “Should they wish to use<br />
the information for any other purpose, retailers will need to notify the customer.”<br />
• For example, if you have a lucky draw box where customers could place their till slip<br />
with a phone number, you will only be able to use the information for entry into the<br />
draw. Any other purpose will need to be specified explicitly, and permission obtained.<br />
• If a customer has signed up for a loyalty program, the retailer is entitled to track their<br />
purchases and use it to promote products in the future based on buying behaviour —<br />
provided that they received consent to do so when the customer signed up or notified<br />
the customer that the information would be used for that purpose, says Van Zyl.<br />
• If the company wishes to collect data via their Facebook page, they would still have to<br />
limit their use, disclosure and retention of that information in line with the purpose<br />
for which they collected it, she says.<br />
Retailers and their staff will also become responsible for safeguarding sensitive customer<br />
information, for example, credit card slips. “Retailers would need to review their<br />
current processes and educate their staff about the importance of safeguarding personal<br />
information. They would need to ensure their staff understand that items such<br />
as credit card details can’t be left in full view of anyone, but should be locked away,”<br />
says Van Zyl.<br />
“Most retailers understand that the misuse of customer information will have serious<br />
reputational consequences. And it is necessary to create awareness around staff<br />
members to focus on how they use personal information. The majority of retailers are<br />
eager to safeguard their customers’ information and upgrade their security measures<br />
and policies accordingly.”<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p24 :: Industry<br />
Cape Union Mart chairman Philip Krawitz and CEO Andre Labuschagne explain why they are optimistic about trading through the recession.<br />
How a mom & pop store<br />
became a major chain<br />
Fifty years ago, when asked to identify<br />
a typical mom and pop store,<br />
Capetonians would most likely<br />
have pointed to the Cape Union<br />
Mart store, nestled between the<br />
huge OK Bazaars and Woolworths headquarters.<br />
Here, customers would feel right at<br />
home, rummaging through the clothing and<br />
gear, from anchors to toothpicks, stacked on<br />
rustic shelves, because they were assured of<br />
personal service.<br />
Nowadays, when asked to identify a worldclass,<br />
cutting-edge, South African retail chain,<br />
consumers will most likely name Cape Union<br />
Mart. The stores, and spin-offs Poetry and Old<br />
Khaki, are now found in most shopping malls<br />
... but still aim to create that at-home, personalised<br />
shopping experience.<br />
How did this mom and pop store become a<br />
leading retail chain, carrying the top brands,<br />
over an 80-year period, when many other independents<br />
closed their doors?<br />
Current chairman Philip Krawitz, the founder’s<br />
grandson and namesake, is a raconteur<br />
who explains business and personal philosophies<br />
with parables that provide fascinating<br />
answers to the question: how did they bridge<br />
the gap between a single army and navy type<br />
store to a 140-plus store empire, which employs<br />
2,000 people, and achieves double-digit<br />
growth every year?<br />
For the first 50 years, the Krawitz family<br />
owned one store. By 1990 it had grown to<br />
eight, and at the turn of the century they had<br />
18 stores. Then the floodgates opened. In the<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
past two years they’ve opened something like<br />
20 new stores across the three brands — in<br />
the last quarter of 2013 they opened ten new<br />
stores, and another ten opened in the first<br />
quarter of 2014. And there’s more to come.<br />
In 2011 Krawitz appointed Andre Labuschagne,<br />
a CA with extensive retail experience,<br />
as CEO, while he became chairman. “I<br />
wanted to bring in some fresh thinking, without<br />
losing the company’s sense of family. We<br />
needed an entrepreneurially-minded person<br />
who had a very strong track record in retail,<br />
who was passionate about a family-like business<br />
culture, and who was equally committed<br />
to the notion of leaving a legacy of doing good<br />
business.”<br />
While they previously mainly opened stores<br />
in shopping centres in cities, Labuschagne saw<br />
new opportunities in smaller towns — and was<br />
proved right by the success of their new Cape<br />
Union Mart stores in Brits and Upington.<br />
While he believes this expansion into smaller<br />
towns works well for a general outdoor store<br />
like Cape Union Mart, the population of smaller<br />
towns does not always warrant the expansion<br />
of specialist stores like Poetry and Old Khaki.<br />
Poetry, which they aim to make the favourite<br />
store of the sophisticated lady, and the<br />
Old Khaki brand stores, were the brainchild of<br />
creative director Ken Lazarus “He is our ideas<br />
guy, delightfully nutty, a creative genius,” says<br />
Krawitz.<br />
Launched in 1999, the Old Khaki leisure<br />
brand became so popular that it now has more<br />
than 40 stand-alone stores. The first Poetry<br />
store, launched in 2008, has grown to 20.<br />
The beauty of the Old Khaki and Poetry<br />
stores are that they are small, and therefore in<br />
high demand by shopping centre landlords who<br />
often need to fill the space vacated by small<br />
stores that closed down, says Labuschagne.<br />
Opening new stores in close proximity to<br />
existing ones don’t affect foot traffic, he<br />
found — but, not having a presence in a new<br />
shopping centre, will affect sales. “Retailers<br />
always overestimate the effect of cannibalisation,<br />
but underestimate the effect of a new<br />
shopping centre opening,” he says. “The shopping<br />
centre is the destination — if you’re not<br />
there, you can’t draw the shoppers.”<br />
For a single store to become a destination<br />
requires something extraordinary, says Labuschagne<br />
… like the huge Canal Walk Adventure<br />
Centre, which became a destinational<br />
store because it offers a truly unique shopping<br />
experience, as well as family entertainment.<br />
Trading in recession<br />
While most South African retailers look back<br />
on 2013 as a very tough year, they are optimistic<br />
about trading conditions, especially since<br />
South Africa has a growing population whose<br />
salaries are increasing, creating a better educated<br />
middle class, with aspirational values.<br />
Trading in a recession actually has several<br />
benefits, says Krawitz, citing their Triple-S<br />
strategy. In a recession they:<br />
• find the very best staff because in boom<br />
times you have to compete very hard to find<br />
decent staff;
Industry :: p25<br />
The current Cape Union Mart<br />
chairman and CEO explain why<br />
the retailer, founded 80 years ago<br />
as a single store, became such a<br />
successful retail chain and local<br />
manufacturer<br />
If you treat people like they<br />
ought to be, they become<br />
what they ought to be. If<br />
you treat them like they<br />
are, they stay as they are.<br />
• look at stores — where a store is closing<br />
down, open a new store and negotiate good<br />
rentals;<br />
• put the right structures in place — this is the<br />
time to fix and upgrade your systems<br />
“So, a recession is actually a very positive<br />
time for us, because we open a lot of stores,<br />
employ some absolutely brilliant people — we<br />
have better people now than I recall having in<br />
any other time in any category — and we’ve<br />
got better systems in place than ever before.”<br />
That is why they outperform their competitive<br />
peers, he says: even though they are a<br />
private company, they can compare their performance<br />
to the listed companies and see that<br />
they are ahead in turnover and profit growth.<br />
“In a recession people never stop buying, but<br />
they want value,” says Krawitz. “The heart of<br />
Cape Union Mart, Poetry and Old Khaki, is Value<br />
with a capital V. The garment you buy today<br />
must look good over the next five years. Our<br />
garments are not going to self-destruct, will<br />
not lose waterproof ability, will not curl up,<br />
and the seams will not come adrift. “<br />
Optimism in diversity<br />
“South Africans talk ourselves into a depression,”<br />
he adds. “This country is too good to<br />
fail, no matter what government we have in<br />
power. One of the greatest strengths of South<br />
Africa is our diversity.”<br />
The same applies to the company, where a<br />
diverse group of people are employed. “That<br />
diversity has enabled us to handle tough times<br />
pretty well by having some damn good arguments,”<br />
says Krawitz, who has a sign that proclaims:<br />
If two people around the table agree,<br />
one of them is unnecessary. He encourages<br />
constructive disagreements because the dialogues<br />
lead to better conclusions.<br />
He cites the PAEI Method, developed by prof<br />
Ichak Adizes of California, as an example of<br />
the four archetypal types of characters needed<br />
for a business to function at its best:<br />
P = the producer, the guy that gets things done<br />
on time. “He’s the engine driver, but like the<br />
driver of a train you’ve got to point him in the<br />
Family business with a difference<br />
PhiliP Krawitz’ founded Cape Union Mart in 1933 and was succeeded by his son,<br />
arthur, in the late 1940’s. when he died of a heart attack in 1970, his son Philip had no<br />
choice but to leave university to run the family business. today, Cape Union Mart is still a<br />
true family business — but, with a twist.<br />
they follow the recommendations of a harvard Business School Programme for family<br />
businesses they attended: no family member may be appointed unless they first gained<br />
work experience elsewhere, and have the skills advertised – and they may only apply once.<br />
therefore, when the Krawitz daughters became involved in the business, they brought the<br />
necessary experience, qualifications and skills to add value to the business.<br />
the eldest, Martine Vogelman, has a B.Bus.Sci degree from the University of Cape town<br />
and managed portfolios at investec Private Bank, before joining the family business to help<br />
with strategic planning. She is also involved with range selection. “we gave her the family<br />
portfolio to administer and she got pretty good returns,” says Krawitz.<br />
lauren Gez, the middle daughter, studied at the Fashion institute of technology in New<br />
York and then went to work for top end brands like Kenneth Cole and J-Crew. after returning<br />
to South africa she told her father “it’s a disgrace that you don’t have any clothes for<br />
women and you have three daughters”— and proceeded to style ladies garments for Cape<br />
Union Mart.<br />
the youngest, amanda herson, is a high achiever: at school she was head girl, the first<br />
white junior mayor of Cape town after democracy, got seven distinctions in matric and<br />
graduated cum laude as best student of her year in B. Sci Econ at the wharton School,<br />
an ivy league college in Pennsylvania. after working for the Boston Consulting Group and<br />
Victoria Secret, she completed her MBa at harvard and joined highland Capital Partners in<br />
the US before being invited by her father to visit Cape town during the 2010 FiFa world<br />
Cup tournament.<br />
the hersons — her husband Marc, who she met at harvard, is a fellow South african —<br />
predictably became homesick and when the person who ran the new business division at<br />
Cape Union Mart left, she applied and got the job. after the birth of her two sons she took<br />
on a new challenge, and now heads up their online business.<br />
the next generation — the grandchildren — inspired the kids’ range, which has been tremendously<br />
successful, says Krawitz.<br />
right direction to get him to the right station.”<br />
A = the accountant, who wants everything<br />
done precisely and correctly.<br />
E = the entrepreneur. “He is your dreamer, full<br />
of ideas, who lights fires all over the place.”<br />
I = the integrator, or a human resources type<br />
of person “who’ll wait for everybody else to<br />
put up their hands before they vote.”<br />
Unless you can get those four types of people<br />
into a similar space and create conflict,<br />
your company will be dead, says Krawitz. The<br />
leader’s role is to build a team.<br />
“After 43 years I learnt something very important:<br />
the smartest thing in business is to<br />
realise you are not the smartest guy in the<br />
realm. Rather employ people who are much<br />
smarter than you and ensure that they play<br />
nicely together.”<br />
At Cape Union Mart it is Labuschagne’s job<br />
is to make sure that “the brilliant people we<br />
employ play nicely together”.<br />
Local manufacturing<br />
Another strength is that they are one of the<br />
few retailers who started manufacturing locally<br />
by opening their own factory. And despite<br />
the job losses suffered by many other local<br />
manufacturers, they are proud that they never<br />
needed to retrench an employee.<br />
“Our factory has grown enormously and we<br />
turned out close to 450 000 garments in this<br />
financial year — high value, highly technical<br />
garments,” says Krawitz. “We are producing<br />
better garments than what you will find in any<br />
other factory in the world.”<br />
The greater flexibility and speed to market<br />
offered by their factory gives them a competitive<br />
edge. But, raw materials are a challenge,<br />
he admits and says “it is absolutely ridiculous<br />
that at this stage South Africa still has high<br />
import tax on textiles that are not available<br />
here.“ It’s essential that any fabric not produced<br />
locally should be imported duty free.<br />
“We have the ability to create quite a viable<br />
manufacturing market here,” adds<br />
To p26
p26 :: Industry<br />
Cape Union Mart<br />
cont from p25<br />
Labuschagne — provided we get the supplies.<br />
While the K-Way factory has already doubled<br />
in size, it is not impossible that it will double<br />
again in five years’ time, they predict. Over<br />
the years they received a number of awards<br />
— most recently,for their commitment to best<br />
practice in world-class manufacturing as part<br />
of the government’s Clothing and Textile Competitiveness<br />
Improvement Programme.<br />
Future is online<br />
While he strongly believes that the South African<br />
online shopping experience still makes it<br />
much more attractive for shoppers to rather<br />
visit a mall, Krawitz also believes that the<br />
shopping behaviour of South African consumers<br />
will change in the uture.<br />
For example, they will make decisions about<br />
what to purchase, and who to purchase it<br />
from, before entering a store. “They will go<br />
online and decide what they need, and where<br />
they will get the best price, without the need<br />
for a half-trained shop assistant to tell them<br />
what they should buy.”<br />
They have already anticipated and addressed<br />
some of the other digital age challenges.<br />
No store in a chain will ever have every<br />
style, every colour and every size in stock —<br />
but, some store in the chain is bound to have<br />
the exact item a customer is looking for. By<br />
going online, a shop assistant can find the item<br />
in another store and have it delivered.<br />
Shopping experience<br />
A successful retailer must create a pleasant<br />
shopping experience. “We want to have<br />
the most beautiful stores, and therefore we<br />
revamp existing stores before they are no<br />
longer the most beautiful. We want to create<br />
unequalled shopping experiences in all our<br />
stores,” says Krawitz.<br />
They aim to have the most knowledgeable<br />
and friendly staff, who offer exceptional service.<br />
Labuschagne introduced a mystery shopper<br />
programme to ensure that the shopping<br />
experience in all their stores is as good as<br />
they expect. The stores are scored with, and<br />
without, the taped video evidence — which is<br />
also shown at the annual conference to demonstrate<br />
good and bad practices. “They must<br />
be on their toes all the time,” he says.<br />
“Our test of exceptional service is when a<br />
customer turns around to the sales person and<br />
say: gee, you didn’t have to do that. We’ve<br />
got guys who’ve driven 100km to deliver a GPS<br />
to a customer,’ says Krawitz.<br />
Training new employees to reach that level,<br />
is a challenge, admits Labuschagne.<br />
“We are verskrik about training,” adds Krawitz,<br />
who still loves to serve customers. Or,<br />
as he says, engages in MBWA: Management By<br />
Walking About.<br />
“Nothing tells you more than serving customers,<br />
because while a computer can tell you<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
CEO Andre Labuschagne brought fresh thinking.<br />
what you sold and for how much, it can’t tell<br />
you why the customer bought. “<br />
Inspiring staff<br />
“Andre has brought inspirational leadership to<br />
the company, he has brought an absolute passion,”<br />
enthuses Krawitz.<br />
A bugle to announce when sales targets have<br />
been made (or exceeded), a company song sang<br />
with gusto, and quizzes on product knowledge,<br />
are just some of the examples of this passion<br />
he introduced. He also introduced a staff incentive<br />
programme and “you have to be at the<br />
annual function when we give the best sales<br />
person an award of R50 000,” says Krawitz.<br />
Another incentive is a monthly draw into<br />
which the names of all the stores that make<br />
their targets are entered. All staff members in<br />
the lucky winner store receives R1 000.<br />
“If you really care for your staff, you’ll give<br />
Trading in a recession has<br />
several benefits when following<br />
a Triple-S strategy<br />
them guidance, but come up with a strap line<br />
that tells them what you want them to do,”<br />
says Labuschagne. The strap line Dare to Lead<br />
with Team IQ Tip therefore became part of the<br />
company song.<br />
He explains it as follows: DARE = Delivery of<br />
an Awesome Retail Experience; LEAD = staff<br />
should Learn, Earn, Add value and Develop;<br />
TEAM = Team, Empower, Accountable, Measure;<br />
IQ = Incentivise and Quality. “We not only<br />
want to be the best employer, we also want<br />
people to queue to join us,” says Labuschagne.<br />
TIP = their value system: namely, Trust, Innovation<br />
and Passion.<br />
“I believe that strapline says it all, so that<br />
every staff member understands what is required,”<br />
says Labuschagne.<br />
The store managers are also empowered to<br />
make decisions, without having to doublecheck<br />
with head office every time. “Our staff<br />
members are so aware that service is everything,<br />
that they can make the right decisions<br />
on their own.”<br />
He believes that when you place trust in<br />
people, they would do much more. “If you<br />
treat people like they ought to be, they become<br />
what they ought to be. If you treat them<br />
like they are, they stay as they are. “<br />
That is why the manager of a Johannesburg<br />
store without a rain chamber, who demonstrated<br />
the waterproofness of a jacket by<br />
pouring a bucket of water over a customer,<br />
won a trip to Kilimanjaro. He felt empowered<br />
to use his own initiative to do what it took to<br />
show the customer what the product could do.<br />
“Our people really live the outdoor lifestyle,”<br />
says Labuschagne. “Every week we<br />
have a staff member going off on a trail bike<br />
ride, climbing Kilimanjaro — we encourage<br />
them to live the outdoor lifestyle and to use<br />
our products while doing that.”<br />
About 80 staff members have climbed Kilimanjaro,<br />
and several had been to Mount Everest<br />
Base Camp, all equipped with K-Way<br />
products.<br />
Guarantee excellence<br />
No matter how happy the staff members are —<br />
the test of a successful retailer is how happy<br />
they make their customers by providing a good<br />
shopping experience and quality products.<br />
“Our products offer exceptional quality and<br />
extra features that you won’t get elsewhere,”<br />
says Krawitz. “We never take anything out of<br />
a product to make it cheaper — if you want<br />
to make it cheaper, find better suppliers and<br />
better ways of manufacturing. We can make<br />
better products than anybody else anywhere<br />
in the world.”<br />
This belief is under-written by their 5-way<br />
guarantee. “This is the best guarantee any<br />
South African store can offer,” says Krawitz,<br />
who summarises it as follows:<br />
1. We guarantee the best price on any product<br />
currently available in a brick and mortar<br />
store;<br />
2. We guarantee every product to give fair<br />
wear and tear. You’ll never hear we’ll ask<br />
the manufacturer and hear what he says.<br />
We sold it and we take responsibility. The<br />
store manager is empowered to decide<br />
whether to repair, replace or refund on the<br />
spot;<br />
3. Any product you buy from us you have the<br />
option to return it within 12 months and<br />
get a refund, provided you have a sales slip<br />
and the goods are still in good condition;<br />
4. We guarantee a foreign exchange rate that<br />
is the same as FNB — we take no commission,<br />
even though we pay the bank commission;<br />
5. If anything you buy from us goes on sale<br />
within 30 days, we’ll guarantee you the<br />
difference between the sale price and the<br />
price you paid for it.<br />
They offer this because they want to be<br />
trusted by their customers, staff and suppliers,<br />
and they know they can deliver on promises,<br />
he concludes.
p28 :: Industry<br />
Meet Skins<br />
the<br />
naughty schoolboy<br />
Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller explains how marketing campaigns that gave it a unique<br />
identity grew the compression brand from an Australian therapeutic product for elite<br />
athletes to a global brand popular with all athletes across most sporting codes<br />
Words: Trudi du Toit. Photo: Nicol du Toit<br />
Agood brand is a living thing and<br />
has a personality, says Skins<br />
chairman Jaimie Fuller. Skins<br />
would be the naughty schoolboy:<br />
funny, interesting, intelligent, not<br />
afraid to challenge the teacher, but with an understanding<br />
of traditions and values ... as personified<br />
by the outspoken, witty and straighttalking<br />
chairman known for his crusades against<br />
doping and bad governance in sport (see article:<br />
Responsible Sponsorship on p42).<br />
Fuller was in Cape Town at the end of last<br />
year as a speaker at the I Play Fair Sports Law<br />
Conference. He took time off to talk about<br />
how Skins grew from a single therapeutic product<br />
sold through physios and doctors to elite<br />
athletes, into an international brand with mass<br />
appeal and more than 100 products across<br />
most sporting codes.<br />
When Fuller bought the Australian brand<br />
in 2002, Skins was making one compression<br />
tight in three versions with different coloured<br />
stitches. “My involvement came as a fluke,”<br />
he recounts. Skins needed an investor to help<br />
them expand into the US market. Fuller, who<br />
was in the printing industry, reluctantly attended<br />
a meeting on request of a friend of a<br />
friend who used to manage the Australian soccer<br />
team. While listening to the presentation,<br />
he paged through a file with about 100 testimonials<br />
praising the benefits of the compression<br />
tights worn by elite athletes since 1998.<br />
“These were not just testimonials from athletes,<br />
most of them came from people like the<br />
doctor of the Australian cricket team, doctors<br />
of other top teams, coaches of top teams.<br />
They were all serious guys,” he says.<br />
While realising that it was pretty obvious<br />
that the brand owners had problems with running<br />
the business, it was also clear from the<br />
testimonials that the product they developed<br />
worked and had huge potential. Fuller therefore<br />
decided to invest in the whole company<br />
(he bought 49%) instead of just buying the US<br />
rights. He didn’t want to run the company, but<br />
knew he could make a business contribution.<br />
But, he soon realised that guys who are<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
When we sit down with<br />
retailers, we want them to<br />
say we got to have Skins.<br />
When they only have room<br />
for three brands, Skins<br />
must be one of the three<br />
creatively brilliant, are not necessarily good<br />
at running a business. After it became obvious<br />
that he would have to continue to invest<br />
money, Fuller bought all the remaining shares.<br />
In 2003 he embarked on the eventful journey<br />
from the printing industry, where everybody<br />
just sold on price, to brand building. They expanded<br />
the product range and registered some<br />
technological patents.<br />
They pay us<br />
The first couple of years their main customers<br />
were elite athletes in Australia and the UK.<br />
“None of the hard-core group in management<br />
came from the sports industry and none of us<br />
knew that you didn’t sell products to top athletes<br />
and elite teams (instead of sponsoring<br />
them — ed). We just gave them 10% off the<br />
retail price,” he says.<br />
“These athletes were saying that when they<br />
trained hard and wore Skins after training,<br />
they felt great. The coach would say, we’ve<br />
got to have this for the whole team. We’d give<br />
products to teams to try and within a day we’d<br />
get calls: ‘I need 100-150 units’.”<br />
At one stage 15 of the 16 teams in Australian<br />
Rules were playing in Skins. Cricketers Steve<br />
Waugh and Brett Lee were early adopters.<br />
“In the 2005-6 Super 12 series there was a<br />
strong relationship between Skins and South<br />
African rugby players who bought our products,”<br />
says Fuller. Cricket players like Sean<br />
Pollock, Morné Morkel, Mark Boucher and others<br />
bought Skins during Australian tours.<br />
Word of mouth about the benefits of compression<br />
spread the demand for Skins from the<br />
elite, to serious amateurs, and eventually the<br />
mass market.<br />
Building the brand<br />
By September 2004 the brand was in 120 outlets<br />
in Australia and Fuller promised his sales<br />
manager a AUS$1-m advertising campaign<br />
if he could show him a client list of 300. In<br />
June-July 2005 they aired their They pay us<br />
TV campaign.<br />
The cheeky ads set an irreverent tone with<br />
lines like: To all those baby-faced, multimillionaire<br />
sports stars that get paid too much,<br />
live in huge houses, have ridiculous haircuts<br />
... We ain't gonna pay you a penny to wear our<br />
product, you can carry on paying us.<br />
This was followed by a print campaign featuring<br />
a grumpy-looking guy with an upside<br />
down Nike swoosh where his mouth would<br />
have been, above the tag line: We don't pay<br />
sports stars to wear our product. They pay us."<br />
Nike was unhappy, but the Australian advertising<br />
authorities didn’t share their concerns.<br />
These and subsequent marketing campaigns<br />
set the tone for the Skins image they wished to<br />
portray: humorous, edgy, challenging beliefs,<br />
but delivering on performance promises.<br />
Sales skyrocketed. In Australia Skins currently<br />
has 70% of the compression market share. A<br />
major Australian retail chain, Rebel, sells up<br />
to 13 000 units of Skins per week. “We created<br />
that market in Australia, because we were the<br />
first to produce compression with a therapeutic<br />
aspect to it. “<br />
The high visibility of the brand also turned<br />
the spotlight on them in other ways — which<br />
resulted in valuable lessons for the marketing<br />
team, Fuller admits.<br />
During the Tour de France in 2006 Skins was<br />
offered an opportunity for cheap TV airtime<br />
and they decided to rerun the They pay us ads.<br />
But, in the interim, about ten of their 100-<br />
odd relationships with elite athletes and teams<br />
had been converted into sponsorships. Skins<br />
had given them some products in exchange<br />
for equal-value marketing rights, although the<br />
athletes and teams still bought product from<br />
them. The Australian advertising authorities,
Industry :: p29<br />
however, considered this to be false advertising,<br />
and fined them.<br />
“The ad campaign was right — what we did<br />
wrong was to run it in the second year when<br />
the situation had changed,” says Fuller.<br />
In another incident a sales agent asked a<br />
retail customer to remove the 20% discount<br />
sign from Skins garments. Because they were<br />
selling so fast, it was not necessary to offer<br />
customers any enticement to buy. A competitor<br />
reported Skins to the Australian Advertising<br />
Authorities for price fixing.<br />
“A lesson I learnt was that I was accountable,<br />
no matter who did wrong. Legally, we did<br />
make the statement, but it was a question of<br />
intent. If I had said sorry, I’ll put a programme<br />
in place for our sales staff to prevent this happening<br />
in future, and offered to pay the difference<br />
in sales price, I would have been fined<br />
something like Aus$25 000 instead of $1-m.”<br />
World brand<br />
He wildly over-invested in the Australian media<br />
campaign, Fuller freely admits. But, he needed<br />
to build a brand and considered the Australian<br />
market as a testing ground. “I thought that<br />
if I’m investing in the Aussie market, I’m actually<br />
investing in the world. If the model worked<br />
there, I could take it anywhere.”<br />
The campaign did set a solid platform for<br />
launching a global brand. Skins’ international<br />
headquarters moved to Switzerland, which not<br />
only has a government that is inviting to and<br />
understanding of international business, but<br />
has a cosmopolitan culture and some of the<br />
most spectacular scenery in the world, says<br />
Fuller. Which makes it a pleasant place to live.<br />
They also have offices in Australia, the UK,<br />
US, France, Germany and China as well as 14<br />
distributorships in other countries.<br />
In 2010 they expanded East and partnered<br />
with Li-Ning in China with a range of co-branded<br />
products. “They had over 7 000 stores in<br />
China, and it looked like a good opportunity,<br />
but it became clear that the relationship was<br />
never going to work because we represented<br />
such a small percentage of their sales,” he<br />
explains.<br />
After a false start in South Africa — a bad<br />
fit with the first distributor and a challenge to<br />
their trademark registration, which the court<br />
overturned with a ruling in Skins’ favour after<br />
a 5-year delay — the brand has been distributed<br />
locally by Super-Brands since 2012.<br />
“I feel very comfortable with what they are<br />
doing. These are great guys, they are really<br />
good,” says Fuller. “I haven’t done a formal<br />
analysis of numbers yet, but I believe we are<br />
going to see really big growth for 2013 (in<br />
South African sales).”<br />
When selecting international distributors, he<br />
believes it is very important to partner with<br />
the right guys, who share their vision and not<br />
only have an understanding of their own market,<br />
but also understand the Skins brand identity<br />
— “especially the humour and wit”. They<br />
will also have to deliver on sales.<br />
“My job is now to ensure that we maintain a<br />
professional standard across the world. When<br />
we sit down with retailers, we want them to<br />
say we got to have Skins. When they only have<br />
room for three brands, Skins must be one of<br />
the three,” he says.<br />
Sponsorships<br />
The majority of UK Premier League clubs,<br />
including Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal,<br />
etc. had been playing in Skins for years,<br />
without marketing contracts, but in 2006 they<br />
launched the brand into the UK retail market,<br />
which required bigger market exposure. Especially<br />
when they moved into the US the following<br />
year.<br />
Subsequent sponsorship partnerships with<br />
the Australian Rugby Union, Australian soccer,<br />
Cycling Australia, USA Cycling, PGA UK, Rory<br />
McIlroy, cycling’s Team Europcar, the International<br />
Triathlon Union, NSW Athletics, Netball<br />
NSW, etcetera, etcetera introduced the brand<br />
to athletes and their supporters in just about<br />
every sporting code.<br />
But, while he enjoys straight-talking, Fuller<br />
is also uncompromising about straight-dealing.<br />
Shortly after they signed a contract with the<br />
#1 Rugby League team in Australia, it became<br />
known that they had been involved in cap<br />
cheating. Skins immediately ended the relationship.<br />
“It was such a good relationship to be in —<br />
they were the top team with a massive following<br />
— and I wondered if this was the right<br />
thing to do,” says Fuller. “But then I thought,<br />
no, these are our values, this is what we stand<br />
for, no matter how good the opportunity, we<br />
can’t continue the relationship.”<br />
The same applied when players who said<br />
they loved the product so much that they<br />
would endorse it for nothing, but whose values<br />
didn’t fit, approached them. “We told<br />
them where to go.”<br />
New structures<br />
Their global expansion in 2007 created the<br />
need for private equity investment, and this<br />
briefly changed the brand, says Fuller. The<br />
board demanded a much safer approach, especially<br />
in advertising, which convinced him<br />
to raise money to buy back the brand in 2012.<br />
“We wanted to focus on building consumer<br />
demand, not change the culture of what and<br />
how we do it. We want investors who can buy<br />
into it.”<br />
Had he not bought back the brand, he<br />
wouldn’t have been able to embark on his<br />
new role, travelling the world and blogging<br />
to advocate responsibility in sport governance<br />
through campaigns like the Skins-sponsored<br />
Pure Sport movement. He also wouldn’t have<br />
had the freedom to play a role in toppling the<br />
former world cycling regime (See p42).<br />
Never happy with the nitty-gritty of the dayto-day<br />
running of the business, Fuller began<br />
looking for someone with strong operational<br />
abilities to take over his role as CEO in 2010<br />
— and eventually found the right person in Nic<br />
Versloot in April 2012.<br />
While still involved with some operational<br />
functions and using his experience and high<br />
profile to contribute towards brand building,<br />
he says he’s now doing what he loves: bringing<br />
accountability to sport.<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p30 :: Industry<br />
After preparing for three<br />
years, the transition from<br />
Ronald Rink to Luke<br />
Barrett-Smith as Puma SA<br />
MD was seamless<br />
Words: Trudi du Toit<br />
Photos: Carin Hardisty<br />
The leadership change at Puma SA<br />
is probably the smoothest the industry<br />
has seen. They have, after<br />
all, been preparing for it for the<br />
past three years. Luke Barrett-<br />
Smith started the new year with the title MD<br />
— but he has been MD Designate since July last<br />
year and has been learning the ropes from retired<br />
MD Ronald Rink since March 2011.<br />
That was when Rink knew that he would be<br />
stepping down at the end of 2013 from running<br />
the Puma subsidiary in South Africa, which he<br />
started in 2001.<br />
“For the past six months Luke has been running<br />
the company and making all decisions,”<br />
Rink said at the end of last year.<br />
If anything, says Rink, Barrett-Smith will now<br />
have an easier time: for the past six months<br />
he also had the responsibility of being national<br />
sales director, a work burden new sales director,<br />
Derick Freemantle, will take over.<br />
There will, therefore, be no surprise changes<br />
in direction or policy.<br />
Sustainability<br />
“We don’t compromise on ethics and we don’t<br />
compromise on sustainability,” says Rink.<br />
“Sustainability is not a lofty ideal, we live it in<br />
this company. Sustainability and ethics are not<br />
just key issues for Puma, it’s key to life and<br />
how we live our lives.”<br />
They run as close as possible to a paperless<br />
office and have reduced their paper use by<br />
more than 60% over the past two years — while<br />
growing the company by more than 30%. They<br />
haven’t used paper invoices or statements for<br />
more than a year. ID access to track the usage<br />
of printers and scanners not only counts the<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
In South Africa, Puma had<br />
always been about performance<br />
first<br />
paper use of employees, it also ensures less<br />
wastage from double or overprints. Even the<br />
storage of files have gone virtual.<br />
South African focus<br />
Following a tough 2013, Barrett-Smith is looking<br />
forward to building on their strengths in<br />
2014. “The past year we’ve faced some of the<br />
most challenging times in the thirteen years<br />
that Ron and I had been working together. I<br />
think it’s the unpredictability ... you never<br />
know if there will be a strike tomorrow.”<br />
They do, however, have a strong base.<br />
“We’ve had huge growth,” says Rink, who<br />
believes one of their strengths is that all the<br />
original management team members are still<br />
with the company.<br />
“We have one of the strongest teams in the<br />
country, our balance sheet must be one of the<br />
strongest in the country.”<br />
With the World Cup in June, soccer will be a<br />
main priority for 2014. Puma’s signing of English<br />
PSL league-toppers Arsenal, will also generate<br />
welcome replica shirt sales.<br />
Eight of the 32 World Cup teams will be playing<br />
in Puma — four of the five African teams.<br />
Although their focus for the first half of<br />
2014 will be soccer, and running will remain<br />
strong, they are very happy with their position<br />
in rugby from a sponsorship perspective and<br />
are in the process of consolidating rugby into<br />
a central hub.<br />
“The Bulls are, without question, one of the<br />
strongest rugby franchises in the world, outside<br />
national franchises. We have a wonderful<br />
relationship with them, as with the Cheetahs<br />
and the Southern Kings. “<br />
Motor racing, a focus area for the brand<br />
since 1978, is still a significant part of their<br />
business. The sale of Ferrari, BMW, Mini, etc.<br />
lifestyle product is doing well, says Barrett-<br />
Smith, with South Africans considering the<br />
branded items as very fashionable, whether<br />
they drive the vehicle, or not.<br />
They are also involved with extreme sports<br />
like skateboarding, rallying and the X-games.<br />
The Social Club they ran in Johannesburg<br />
was such a success that they extended it six<br />
months beyond the original timeline. There<br />
was a disappointed fan base when they eventually<br />
closed, says Barrett-Smith, but they will<br />
be replacing it with something new. “It gave us<br />
the opportunity to interact with our consumers,<br />
and to understand them.”<br />
At the club, close to their store in the trendy<br />
Braamfontein, young people got the chance<br />
to join in all kinds of unusual activities — like<br />
playing table tennis with their phones.<br />
Performance year for Puma<br />
Worldwide, 2014 will be a big year for Puma as<br />
new CEO Björn Gulden will introduce a manifesto<br />
in July, which will indicate a new direction<br />
for the brand.<br />
When he was appointed in July 2013, Gulden<br />
said his priority would be to improve the company’s<br />
performance by focusing on their roots<br />
in football and athletics, rather than concentrating<br />
on fashion-led sports lifestyle.
Industry :: p31<br />
Puma’s<br />
new<br />
MD<br />
upbeat<br />
for 2014<br />
Ronald Rink and Puma come a long way<br />
Ronald Rink’s history with Puma dates back 34 years to the early<br />
1980’s, when he was GM of Jag sports, owned by Roy Eckstein,<br />
that was selling Puma in south africa. after a disagreement with Eckstein,<br />
he moved to Canada, where he started a Hi-Tec distributorship,<br />
which he sold to the company after ten years.<br />
after a short stint at Hi-Tec international head-office, he returned to<br />
Puma’s international division, which was essentially the EMEa region.<br />
When the south african Puma distributor, Buccaneer, went into liquidation<br />
in 1998, he had to find a new distributor, who was Eckstein,<br />
who subsequently also bought the south african rights for Reebok.<br />
Rink opened the Puma subsidiary in south africa in 2001, which he had been running for<br />
the past thirteen years. He sold his shares in the company a few years ago and after renewing<br />
his contract several times, Puma eventually said that his contract would be renewed for a final<br />
time until the end of 2013.<br />
“Ron has been my mentor,” says Barrett-smith. “With Ron you know you are in the presence<br />
of an ethical individual who doesn’t compromise on what he stands for. in business,<br />
those are the things you look up to. “over the years we’ve become friends ... how would<br />
you summarise something that is so big (his influence) in a few words? i don’t think i could.”<br />
Born in Bulawayo, Rink was schooled at durban High, matriculated at Westerford High in<br />
Cape Town and thereafter graduated from the University of Cape Town. He’s an avid tennis<br />
player and top surfer. “i’ll surf, go to the bush, spend time in Zimbabwe on the Zambezi ...<br />
i’ll get involved in something, but i will not be working nine to six,” are his future plans.<br />
While he hopes that he’ll still be invited to the Puma rugby box and the odd party Rink says<br />
he will not be coming back to the office. “The last thing luke’ll need is me looking over his<br />
shoulder and telling him what i would do. When i’m gone, i’m gone.”<br />
But, he will miss the Puma family. “it’s a life. it’s a family.”<br />
A former pro footballer, the Norwegian businessman<br />
has nearly 20 years’ experience in<br />
the European sporting goods and footwear distribution<br />
and retail industries, with previous<br />
management experience at, among others,<br />
Helly Hansen and adidas. He was appointed<br />
after a 70% drop in profits resulted in a reshuffle<br />
of Puma’s top management.<br />
Although Puma still has one of the strongest<br />
balance sheets in the industry, the shareholders<br />
expect Gulden to revitalise the brand and<br />
a strong focus on performance can therefore<br />
be expected, says Rink.<br />
“Gulden believes that lifestyle comes from<br />
performance,” adds Barrett-Smith. He mentions<br />
the shoes that athletes like Boris Becker<br />
wore while delivering top performances,<br />
which would today be considered to be fashion<br />
lifestyle shoes. “The brand’s credibility comes<br />
from there. We’ll keep our focus on performance,<br />
without jeapardizing lifestyle.”<br />
The fact that certain performance styles became<br />
so popular amongst a large number of<br />
lifestyle buyers, didn’t detract from their performance<br />
heritage, they argue.<br />
“In 1999 we brought out styles, like the Mostro,<br />
which revolutionised the image of a sports<br />
brand,” says Barrett-Smith.<br />
In South Africa, Puma had always been about<br />
performance first, although consumers might<br />
have considered them a lifestyle brand. In<br />
the World Cup the teams who’ll be playing in<br />
Puma will be seen by 4.8-bn viewers, he predicts.<br />
“This exposure will show we are definitely<br />
a serious performance brand.”<br />
But, with a shareholder like Kering, owner of<br />
top fashion brands like Gucci, Saint Laurent,<br />
Stella McCartney, etc., Puma will be exposed<br />
to many more fashion lifestyle co-labs — and<br />
it would only be natural to make the most of<br />
this benefit.<br />
Winning awards<br />
Over the past thirteen years, Puma SA has won<br />
many awards — one of the most cherished the<br />
Puma Subsidiary of the Year award they won<br />
when they were only three years old ... an unprecedented<br />
achievement. “It was for market<br />
penetration, profitability, market share, etc.”<br />
says Rink. “We win awards all the time,” he<br />
adds nonchalantly.<br />
Their most famous award was the Mickey<br />
Mouse hat they won for beating the Puma Holland<br />
team in an impromptu swimming race in<br />
a fountain during their sales conference at Disney<br />
World.<br />
With an Olympic swimmer and a navy seal<br />
on their team, the Dutch were confident that<br />
they would win the challenge — and that the<br />
South Africans would end up paying the forfeit<br />
of 400 liters of beer for everybody still awake<br />
at that time of the morning.<br />
The South African team of Rink, Brett Bellinger<br />
and Alex Hulley (who was pulled out of<br />
bed) were about half a length ahead when<br />
Barrett-Smith, a champion lifesaver, had to<br />
swim the last length against the Dutch Olympic<br />
swimmer. He decided to give her a sporting<br />
chance and waited until she was 5 seconds<br />
ahead ... and still beat her by half a length.<br />
After a memorable party, they were awarded<br />
the Mickey Mouse hat the next morning ... and<br />
Barrett-Smith promptly thanked Puma Denmark<br />
for swimming against them.<br />
No wonder Rink says: “We’ve had a helluva<br />
lot of fun along the way.”<br />
A natural choice<br />
lUkE BaRRETT-sMiTH, who started his<br />
working career in<br />
hotel management<br />
in Johannesburg,<br />
joined the sports<br />
industry when he<br />
wanted to return<br />
to Cape Town. His<br />
father, Mr speedo<br />
Paul Barrett-smith,<br />
first employed him<br />
in the factory “to understand the brand<br />
from grassroots, and then i had the opportunity<br />
to join the agency as agent.”<br />
He also got the Puma agency in 1999,<br />
and in 2002 Ronald Rink offered him the<br />
position of Puma sales director. He became<br />
part of a small management team of<br />
eight – all of them still with the company.<br />
Barrett-smith was a natural choice as his<br />
successor, says Rink. “He has the background,<br />
he understands the entire business,<br />
he’s got the passion, he’s got the<br />
knowledge, he’s got customer relationships<br />
and he’s got the relationship with<br />
our operational side.”<br />
He had been in the succession plan as<br />
early as 2005 – but was only made aware<br />
of it in 2011, says Rink.<br />
Barrett-smith has WP colours for lifesaving<br />
and in 1996 he came 6th in the<br />
World Championships held in durban.<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p32 :: Industry<br />
It’s all new for<br />
New Balance<br />
New campaigns, new sponsorships, new product and a new<br />
management team with a new structure ... New Balance SA<br />
is looking forward to an exciting 2014<br />
2014 is going to be an exciting and<br />
interesting year for New Balance<br />
SA. They will be working flat-out to<br />
maximise the benefits of being the<br />
new Comrades Marathon technical<br />
sponsor — starting with the launch of a special<br />
Comrades shoe to offer visual bragging rights<br />
to the athletes who’ll run the 2014 marathon.<br />
The NB Comrades 890 running shoe, available<br />
in men’s and lady’s, is designed for high<br />
mileage training, race day running and will be<br />
available as a limited edition from March 2014.<br />
Then there is the change in top management,<br />
giving practical meaning to the phrase<br />
the world’s a village. Ricky Knight is overseeing<br />
New Balance in South Africa from his base<br />
in Australia, where he has been managing the<br />
Australia, New Zealand, and lately the Pacific<br />
Islands region, for more than ten years.<br />
In line with their policy to act local, think<br />
global, they appointed former New Balance SA<br />
sales manager Craig Bowen as a country manager,<br />
after former GM Gary van Rooyen left to<br />
owner-run the global surf brand Coreban.<br />
But, as they explain, with the advances in<br />
communication, distances shrink to the size<br />
of a computer screen. Knight and Bowen keep<br />
contact with regular Skype sessions — and<br />
probably see as much of each other as other<br />
general managers working in the same city.<br />
They will also be working hard to achieve<br />
New Balance’s international goal of becoming<br />
a top three global athletic brand.<br />
New Balance is currently the fastest growing<br />
sporting brand worldwide — and they have<br />
the figures to prove it, says Darren Tucker, appointed<br />
New Balance vice-president Asia Pacific<br />
in November 2012. Even though they are a<br />
privately-owned unlisted company whose sales<br />
figures are not in the public domain, they can<br />
compare their growth with that published for<br />
competing big brands.<br />
Knight and Tucker visited South Africa at the<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
The inclusion of South Africa<br />
in the Pacific region<br />
was prompted by New Balance’s<br />
policy of looking at<br />
similar customer profiles<br />
end of last year to attend the sales conference<br />
and introduce Knight to the local staff.<br />
They became New Balance colleagues twenty<br />
years ago when Knight joined the Australian<br />
team headed by Tucker. Before that Knight got<br />
to know the other side of the industry from<br />
a retail and sales agent perspective. He followed<br />
in Tucker’s footsteps as general manager<br />
Australia — and later Pacific — after the<br />
latter became general manager of the brand’s<br />
Asia Pacific region in 2001.<br />
Despite his laid-back demeanour, Knight has<br />
done a lot to grow the New Balance business in<br />
Australia and New Zealand, says Tucker.<br />
The inclusion of South Africa in the Pacific<br />
region was prompted by New Balance’s policy<br />
of looking at similar customer profiles when<br />
grouping areas together, Knight explains.<br />
South Africans, Aussies and New Zealanders<br />
share an interest in popular sporting codes like<br />
cricket and rugby, our retail market is fairly<br />
similar and our seasons correspond — our consumer<br />
markets therefore have much more in<br />
common than with the American or European<br />
markets with their different seasons.<br />
Together these markets are big enough to<br />
warrant the development of unique products<br />
best suited to our market needs in the Singapore<br />
R&D centre. And importantly, to develop<br />
the ranges at an appropriate time.<br />
When Bowen was appointed national sales<br />
manager in the middle of 2013, the intention<br />
was that he would have about three years to<br />
learn from MD Gary van Rooyen, before becoming<br />
head of the regional office. When Van<br />
Rooyen left New Balance to run the Coreban<br />
brand globally, Bowen was “propelled into the<br />
hot seat only three months after joining the<br />
company,” says Tucker.<br />
Bowen gained insights into the South African<br />
athletic footwear industry as head of<br />
sports footwear market research at GfK South<br />
Africa. He was responsible for setting up the<br />
GfK Sports Panel after a major sports brand<br />
approached the global research company in<br />
2008 to monitor the sports footwear market<br />
in South Africa.<br />
Bowen had joined GfK six years before as<br />
a product specialist for consumer durable<br />
goods and therefore had ample experience<br />
of convincing brands to sign up to receive<br />
reports and retailers to give them access to<br />
sales information. It helped that many of the<br />
big retailers had already signed up for GfK’s<br />
other consumer product panels. By the time<br />
retailers started selling soccer boots before<br />
the 2010 FIFA World Cup period, they were in<br />
place to track the effect of the tournament on<br />
local boot sales.<br />
Bowen gained further insights into the local<br />
retail market when writing his MBA thesis<br />
on The effect of mass retail buying practices<br />
on competitiveness in the retail value chain,<br />
which he completed at the end of 2012. He<br />
explored what the main retail competitiveness<br />
and sustainable drivers are and how certain<br />
factors and strategies can affect everybody in<br />
the retail value chain.<br />
His work at GfK mainly centred around market<br />
and trend analysis, forecasting and strategic<br />
merchandising, which was valuable when<br />
he joined New Balance. But, being on the inside<br />
is very different from dispassionately analysing<br />
a brand’s performance from the outside,<br />
Bowen admits with a rueful smile.<br />
Now, he is responsible for the performance<br />
of the New Balance SA sales and marketing<br />
teams, whilst support structures (e.g. finance
Industry :: p33<br />
GM Ricky Knight, country<br />
manager Craig Bowen and<br />
VP in charge of the region<br />
Darren Tucker talking policy.<br />
and HR) report directly to global structures.<br />
Their partnership with the Comrades marathon<br />
is going to be a major marketing focus<br />
this year, with several events planned for their<br />
Road to Comrades campaign leading up to<br />
race day on June 1. For example, New Balance<br />
will support the Unogwaja Challenge — a 10-<br />
day cycle trip from Cape Town to Pietermaritzburg,<br />
followed by the Comrades Marathon run<br />
on the 11th day — as apparel sponsors. This<br />
event raises funds for charities and hopes to<br />
raise R1-m next year.<br />
Running innovation<br />
The New Balance’s global Runnovation campaign<br />
will further reaffirm them as a running<br />
brand. They define this as a noun describing<br />
running as follows: from Boston to the Canary<br />
Islands, from the science lab to the city<br />
streets, running is becoming more social, interesting<br />
and more unpredictable. Runnovation<br />
seeks to inspire people to think about the<br />
sport in exciting new ways.<br />
The campaign, launched in December 2013,<br />
features New Balance athletes, as well as real<br />
everyday people in three storylines: how running<br />
is evolving into a more social and participatory<br />
sport through focusing on a grassroots<br />
training group; how athletes are challenging<br />
the limits of the sport through focusing on New<br />
Balance athlete Anton Krupricka, two time<br />
winner of the Leadville 100 race; looking at<br />
the latest in innovative running product technologies<br />
produced at the innovation Studio at<br />
New Balance Lawrence, Massachusetts, office.<br />
Key innovative Fall 2014 New Balance footwear<br />
and apparel products will be featured in<br />
the campaign, including the new Tri-Viz collection,<br />
which helps highlight athletes during<br />
all types of low light conditions. An important<br />
update to the popular 880V3, a go-to neutral<br />
cushioning shoe, offered exclusively at speciality<br />
running shops, will also be featured.<br />
While running remains at the core of New<br />
Balance, the brand is flexing muscles and<br />
growing their footprint across sporting codes<br />
like tennis, baseball, cricket and through subsidiary<br />
brand Warrior, soccer, rugby and lacrosse.<br />
This is a two-pronged advance, driven<br />
by innovative product as well as high-profile<br />
endorsements.<br />
Athlete endorsements from the brand that<br />
ran an Endorsed by no-one marketing campaign<br />
in the 1990’s?<br />
With a difference, explains Tucker. It is true<br />
that New Balance always steered clear from<br />
high profile athletes who could harm the brand<br />
by becoming embroiled in unethical practices,<br />
but, in line with New Balance co-owner Anne<br />
Davis’ motto whatever you do, do good, they<br />
require all sponsored athletes to give back to<br />
their community through involvement in some<br />
kind of charitable work.<br />
They are therefore very careful about the<br />
athletes they sign, while recognising that<br />
when fans admire certain qualities in an<br />
athlete, they transfer this admiration to the<br />
brand they represent.<br />
Young role models<br />
Therefore, young, energetic, achievers like<br />
hard-hitting cricket pro David Miller or world<br />
#1 bowler Dale Steyn, world #11 Canadian tennis<br />
star Milos Ranic, and 2013 MVP Award winner<br />
Miguel Cabrera, introduce young consumers,<br />
who might not be familiar with the brand,<br />
to New Balance in a positive way.<br />
“We do not necessarily believe that the<br />
fact that David Miller uses a New Balance bat<br />
will sell more products, but it shows cricketers<br />
that New Balance is seriously involved in<br />
cricket,” says Tucker.<br />
Likewise, when Heidi Klum appears in New<br />
Balance Classic adverts — especially when<br />
dressed in her signature HKNB range — young<br />
trendsetters take note. This inspires young<br />
fashionistas to run in cool New Balance shoes.<br />
While the region has the freedom to develop<br />
products for all relevant sporting codes,<br />
New Balance will not compete with Warrior<br />
to produce soccer and rugby product. High<br />
profile club signings like Liverpool and Seville<br />
FC created a replica market in the European<br />
leagues, while players like Belgian and Manchester<br />
City captain Vincent Kompany or<br />
Argentine’s Jonas Guttierez, show off their<br />
colourful Skreamer boots on-field.<br />
In South Africa, Warrior also made in-roads<br />
in rugby, with EP Kings’ Jacques Engelbrecht<br />
and four 7’s Springboks wearing the Skreamer<br />
boot.<br />
Warrior, bought by New Balance in 2004, has<br />
an edgier image and strap lines like We Come<br />
not to Play or Play with Fire set a different<br />
tone to New Balance’s inspirational Make Excellent<br />
Happen or Light just got Lighter campaigns.<br />
Despite being a global brand, at heart New<br />
Balance is a family-owned brand promoting<br />
solid family values. The New Balance Foundation,<br />
established by owners Jim and Anne<br />
Davis in 1981, bears low-profile testimony to<br />
this philosophy. It supports a wide range of<br />
worthwhile initiatives, especially programmes<br />
aimed at preventing childhood obesity.<br />
The company also promote an environmental-friendly<br />
policy, aiming for more sustainable<br />
product design, choice of materials and<br />
manufacturing processes, and the elimination<br />
of all dangerous substances and minimising<br />
waste.<br />
They also aim to be more sustainable in all<br />
their facilities and operations.<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p34 :: Apparel & Footwear<br />
Running in<br />
lowlight conditions<br />
Runners training at dusk, dawn or in the dark are only seen by motorists in their headlights<br />
when it is too late to stop — unless they wear clothing with reflective or lights that will be visible<br />
from a greater distance. RHIANAH FREDERICKS asked running product suppliers which<br />
products they would recommend to help make runners more visible in lowlight conditions<br />
As the days become shorter, more<br />
and more runners will be training<br />
in increasingly lowlight conditions,<br />
where it is as important to<br />
be seen, as it is to be able to see.<br />
Running in lowlight conditions means that runners<br />
need to take extra precautions to ensure<br />
their safety.<br />
Runners can make themselves more visible<br />
through simple changes, such as buying reflective<br />
running gear, or wearing items that have<br />
lights incorporated. Reflective materials need<br />
a light source in order for it to glow (or reflect<br />
light back) and make the wearer visible.<br />
Motorists need at least a distance of 26m to<br />
stop safely when travelling slow, but runners<br />
without any reflective clothing are only visible<br />
within 5m of a motorists headlights. To ensure<br />
there is a safe distance between them and a<br />
moving vehicle, runners should wear reflective<br />
clothing, which will allow them to be visible<br />
from at least 152m’s away.<br />
Although the importance of reflective has not<br />
always been understood, it has been gaining<br />
ground in recent years. Most running brands<br />
nowadays incorporate reflective in their gear.<br />
Adidas has a Smarter range of jackets that<br />
incorporates woven reflective “to create visibility<br />
without looking like you’re directing<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
Lighting products suitable<br />
for running usually have<br />
minimal designs and long<br />
lifespans to ensure that<br />
runners get long use out<br />
of their product.<br />
traffic,” says Gugu Ntuli from adidas SA. The<br />
brand also uses reflective trims and patterns<br />
on their clothing.<br />
Many brands use this method in their products<br />
as a means of improving runner visibility,<br />
say suppliers of running products. There are a<br />
variety of other reflective applications on running<br />
clothing, shoes and accessories.<br />
Brooks’ Nightlife collection offers high visibility<br />
for runners in lowlight conditions, all<br />
year round. “The Nightlife collection features<br />
bright colour contrast and 3M reflective details.<br />
Perfect solutions for runs in the dark,”<br />
says Michelle Chowles from local distributor<br />
SBR Agencies.<br />
The Rev LS II long sleeve t-shirt from Brooks<br />
features 3M Scotchlite reflectors that provide<br />
360 degrees visibility says Chowles. On their<br />
Essential Run Jacket II, the 3M Scotchlite reflectors<br />
are placed on the front and back.<br />
Their LSD Lite Jackets III outlines a runner’s<br />
figure in the dark. Other products in the range,<br />
such as the Infiniti Beanie and Equilibrium LS<br />
II, also feature 3M Scotchlite reflectors.<br />
Hi-Tec’s men’s R156 and ladies R157 shoes<br />
have been designed with a reflective trim to<br />
keep runners safe in lowlight conditions, says<br />
Joanne Esterhuizen from Hi-Tec SA.<br />
Inov-8’s outer layers, such as their Raceshell<br />
and Mistlite jackets, feature reflective trims<br />
and zippers in the front. Their Windglove<br />
outer also has reflective writing and details.<br />
This is also applied to their hydration packs,<br />
like the Race Elite 15. Training shoes like the<br />
Road-X 255, which are often used in lowlight<br />
conditions, also incorporate reflective.<br />
“Inov-8 incorporates reflective detail and<br />
piping in strategic areas to aid visibility,<br />
without making the product unappealing or<br />
gaudy,” says Inov-8 brand manager Donovan<br />
van Gelder from Rebel Elite Fitness.<br />
Nathan offers race vests that work in a simple<br />
way, explains Paul Copson from local distributor<br />
Super-Brands. These vests make users visible<br />
from 100m away and have 360º reflectivity,<br />
ensuring they are seen from all sides.<br />
The Nathan reflective hydration bottle also<br />
helps improve runner visibility as To p36
p36 :: Apparel & Footwear<br />
How reflective keeps runners safe By JoHLEttE DE JAGEr*<br />
For most runners, their daily programmes and job obligations<br />
force them to jog early morning or late afternoon.<br />
Both periods of the day unfortunately pose the challenge<br />
of being visible to other road users. In more than 80% of<br />
accidents involving runners in lowlight conditions, the driver<br />
expressed shock that he or she only became aware of the<br />
runner on impact — when it was already too late to do anything<br />
about it.<br />
Almost everybody wants to look good in their running<br />
clothes and dark clothing is generally more flattering …<br />
which explains why many runners do not seem to realise<br />
the importance of hi-visibility clothing. The dressing behaviour<br />
of runners do, however, change after a near accident<br />
or the loss of a buddy in an accident in lowlight conditions.<br />
Fortunately, the major athletic brands have incorporated<br />
reflective in their gear, which made runners more aware of<br />
reflective. It has also made the concept more acceptable.<br />
Reflective piping, strips in various formats, heat transfers, sew-on embossed<br />
badges — all can be applied in such a way so that it can be a true<br />
lifesaving feature. A manufacturer incorporating reflective should use products<br />
with high candela counts, suitable for multiple washing cycles, which are<br />
light and durable.<br />
Any reflective is better than no reflective. The application of reflective has,<br />
however, unfortunately not always been done effectively. High visibility items<br />
need a certain amount of reflective per square meter on apparel to make the<br />
wearer fully visible. High visibility colours like the well-known lime-yellow and<br />
orange are only day glow and add no value to visibility at night. Tops or shorts<br />
need good standard silver reflective to be visible in darker periods i.e. after<br />
dusk and before dawn.<br />
A little reflective is better than nothing, but the larger the reflective strips,<br />
or areas covered with reflective, the better. The ideal is for the runner to be<br />
360° visible — so that it does not matter from which angle the vehicle approaches<br />
him or her. That means that the reflective ideally needs to be applied<br />
360°around the garment. This will ensure that the runner is seen from<br />
all sides and as far away as a kilometer in the light of a car.<br />
Nowadays, there are various attractive options to make runners visible in<br />
lowlight and dark conditions — and at the same time still enable them to<br />
express individuality through their running gear.<br />
• The starting point is to incorporate the reflective<br />
on those items the runner cannot go without — for<br />
instance, running tops or shorts, or shoes. This is a<br />
classic example of “passive prevention”. The runner<br />
will be visible, without having to add anything special<br />
to their gear, such as a running belt, wristband, headgear<br />
or gloves.<br />
• Hi-viz or neon bright tops or T-shirts and shorts ensure<br />
the wearer can easily be seen before daybreak/<br />
dawn and dusk — those in-between periods of night<br />
and day when the effectiveness of reflective materials<br />
and car headlamps start to wane — when the<br />
brightness of the neon colour garments become vital.<br />
In the dark, these colours will, however, only be visible<br />
when combined with reflective.<br />
• Bright coloured socks add visibility — although very few sock manufacturers<br />
add reflective as a trim.<br />
• Running shoes have reflective piping incorporated in the shoe designs, or<br />
added as a functional item, such as a pull-on strap in reflective. Other reflective<br />
items can be done in logos, laces, or heat-applied designs.<br />
• Reflective armbands are a great way to add more visibility to running outfits<br />
and the movement of the arms attract attention while running.<br />
• Reflective running belts are excellent as they ensure 360° visibility in the<br />
light of a car.<br />
• Hi-visibility neon or day-glow yellow or orange caps or hats with reflective<br />
detail all around the brim, or sides of a cap, can incorporate 360° reflective<br />
— which can be a very economical way to add reflective.<br />
• Reflective running gloves — the up and down movement of the hands<br />
makes it very easy for a driver to spot movement<br />
• Headlamps and torches enable motorists to see an approaching runner,<br />
but often not from the back. LED flashing lights that clip on are better for<br />
walking the dog, than running as too much bumping around may cause<br />
them to go off from time to time.<br />
Nowadays, hi-visibility day-glow colours, reflective trims and materials, as<br />
well as glow-in-the-dark, are used together as mountain bikers doing night<br />
rides in unlit areas need the glow-in-the-dark trims as safety feature too.<br />
*Johlette de Jager became concerned about the number of pedestrian deaths in low-visibility conditions when working at the Medical Research Council. Research<br />
showed that in Europe the use of reflective reduced the danger. She then became co-founder of Glow Gear, a South African manufacturer of reflective products.<br />
Running products cont from p34<br />
the entire bottle glows when light shines on it.<br />
New Balance also uses graphic details in order<br />
to increase visibility. “Most of our technical<br />
running apparel has reflective piping, trims<br />
and or graphic detail on them, which is suitable<br />
for any runner, but would definitely benefit<br />
the road runner in lowlight conditions,”<br />
says Katharine Tromp from New Balance SA.<br />
Their WRP4105 Boylston Capri (for women)<br />
has large reflective graphic at the knee while<br />
the MRJ4100 (for men) and WRJ4100 (for women)<br />
has large reflective graphic on the sleeve.<br />
The WRP3315 Impact Tight (for women) has<br />
a reflective material strip running down the<br />
side as well as reflective details on the back<br />
whereas the MRP3315 Impact Tight (for men)<br />
has reflective detail at the zips and graphics<br />
on the back.<br />
All their Nbx running styles also usually feature<br />
3M reflective trimmings on the back or<br />
front of the shoe, to help increase runner visibility<br />
in lowlight conditions.<br />
“We also carry a reflective belt, which is adjustable<br />
and fits most sizes, as well as a strobe<br />
light which can be attached to a belt or waist<br />
band and can be set to flash,” says Tromp.<br />
Puma’s reflective running gear is called Nightcat,<br />
consisting of jackets, shorts and t-shirts<br />
made with visiCELL highly reflective material.<br />
“This is is designed to enhance others’ awareness<br />
of runners in dim light situations” says<br />
Collin Allin from Puma SA. All Puma shoes also<br />
feature reflective stripes.<br />
Reebok running apparel have reflective<br />
and fluorescent prints to give runners maximum<br />
visibility during lowlight running, says<br />
Tezanne Shunmoogum from Reebok SA. Their<br />
colour and overall design all incorporate<br />
bright, bold graphics and colours, which aids<br />
maximum visibility.<br />
Salomon offers shoes with reflective branding<br />
that makes runners visible in lowlight.<br />
Many clothing manufacturers combine reflective<br />
with bright colours in order to offer<br />
visibility in both light or lowlight conditions.<br />
“Our technical lightweight running apparel is<br />
suited to any type of runner in lowlight conditions<br />
as we have a variety of light colour garments<br />
which all have reflective branding on<br />
the front and back,” says Jackie Moore from<br />
Salomon SA.<br />
For road or trail runners, she would recommend<br />
their Exo S-Lab TwinSkin short, which although<br />
dark in colour, has sufficient reflective<br />
branding all around to offer greater visibility.<br />
Skechers has introduced Photoluminescant<br />
technology to make their runner gear more<br />
visible in lowlight condition. Skechers’ Nite<br />
Owl range of running shoes only need exposure<br />
to a light charge in order to remain glowing in<br />
lowlight or no light conditions.<br />
“These shoes are ideal as they use photoluminescant<br />
technology that produces a glow<br />
effect in darkness or lowlight conditions,” says<br />
Derick Koen from Footwear Trading, local distributors<br />
of Skechers. Short exposure to a light<br />
source causes the shoe to glow in the dark and<br />
the more it is exposed to a light source, the<br />
longer it will glow, he says.<br />
Light in the dark<br />
Some running garments incorporate blinking<br />
or steady LED lights in their designs to make<br />
the wearer more visible to passing to p38<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
p38 :: Apparel & Footwear<br />
Inov-8 win at ISPO<br />
THE INOV-8 Race Ultra<br />
vest, which won the Best<br />
Performance Equipment<br />
category at 2014 ISPO<br />
Munich, “may well be<br />
the next key moment<br />
in pack design,” ultra-distance<br />
and sky-<br />
running journalist Ian<br />
Corless wrote in Talk Ultra.<br />
Two other Inov-8 Race products won Best<br />
product categories at the ISPO show. The<br />
Ultra 290 won the Performance Footwear<br />
category and the Race Elite 315 Softshell<br />
Pro won the Performance Apparel (outer<br />
layers) category.<br />
Made completely of fully-breathable 3D<br />
Airmesh and stretch mesh, the Race Ultra<br />
Vest fits body-tight, yet super-comfortable,<br />
says Donovan van Gelder of local distributor<br />
Rebel Elite Fitness.<br />
Due to the pocket positioning, a pair of<br />
500ml bottles can fit flatter and more stable<br />
to the side of an athlete’s body. Weighing<br />
only 195g stripped, the vest can carry<br />
up to 4l of kit. It has seven stretch mesh<br />
pockets and six adjustment straps, ensuring<br />
one size fits all.<br />
A removable insulated sleeve houses a<br />
2l shape-shift reservoir and outer bungee<br />
compression allows extra storage space.<br />
Running products cont from p36<br />
motorists. There are many lighting accessories<br />
that can assist in making runners more visible<br />
in lowlight conditions, and they are sometimes<br />
used in combination with reflective.<br />
Lighting products suitable for running usually<br />
have minimal designs and long lifespans<br />
to ensure that runners get long use out of their<br />
product. They are therefore comfortable to<br />
use while running.<br />
Many accessories incorporate LED lights<br />
because they are compact, don’t emit heat,<br />
use a fraction of energy other types of lights<br />
do and their plastic design allows them to be<br />
flexible. Lights enable runners to be seen, and<br />
flash or blinking modes on various lights allow<br />
even faster recognition.<br />
Nathan’s Strobe and Clip Lights easily attach<br />
to a runner’s belt, shoes or clothing, and offer<br />
high visibility blinking and steady light modes.<br />
This ensures that runners are seen from a safe<br />
distance.<br />
They also offer the light spur that clips onto<br />
the heel of a running shoe and has a light that<br />
can be set to strobe or constant mode.<br />
Nite Ize products use LED technology in clothing<br />
and accessories to help ensure runner visibility<br />
in lowlight conditions. Their LED Sport<br />
Vest features 3M Scotchlite reflective materials,<br />
as well as two illuminated flexible polymer<br />
strips (in the front and back) that can be set to<br />
steady or flashing LED light mode.Their LED<br />
Sport Belt can be set to flashing mode or on a<br />
steady glow and has a webbed reflective pattern<br />
for increased visibility and added safety.<br />
Other items, such as Nite Ize’s LED Marker<br />
Band (for the arm) and Clip-On Marker (that<br />
clips on anywhere) have reflective patterns for<br />
extra visibility. They can also be set to a constant<br />
glow or continuous flash for increased<br />
visibility.<br />
The SlapLit LED wraps around the arm, ankle<br />
or leg. “Turn it on, slap it on your wrist, upper<br />
arm, or ankle (or any tubular-shaped object,<br />
for that matter), and you’ve got instant nighttime<br />
visibility,” says Georgina Connock of Awesome<br />
Tools. Other accessories in their range<br />
include the Nite Ize ClipLit and ShoeLit.<br />
See better in the dark<br />
It is not only important for runners to be seen<br />
in the dark — they also need to see branches,<br />
curbs, potholes and other obstacles that could<br />
endanger their safety while running. There are<br />
several headlamps that have been specially<br />
designed to meet the needs of runners.<br />
Black Diamond makes a number of lights suitable<br />
for various forms of running. The Black<br />
Diamond Sprinter headlamp is rechargeable<br />
and specifically built for runners who need<br />
light on regular training runs.
Apparel & Footwear :: p39<br />
It is not only important for<br />
runners to be seen in the<br />
dark – they also need to<br />
see branches, curbs, potholes<br />
and other obstacles<br />
“It has a wide throw (beam) for optimal visibility<br />
when running and a red strobe on the<br />
back that flashes to ensure that the runner<br />
is visible at all times (even from the back),”<br />
says Simon Larsen from local distributors, Ram<br />
Mountaineering.<br />
The Sprinter charges via a USB port and<br />
takes only five hours to charge fully. Its dimming<br />
function remembers the last setting, it<br />
is waterproof so you can rinse it under a tap<br />
after each run. It also has a burn time of 42<br />
hours.<br />
Their Icon model has a 200 Lumen output<br />
with a 100m (maximum) throw and it burns<br />
up to 175 hours on four AA batteries. It is also<br />
waterproof and features rugged aluminium<br />
housing. The batteries are housed in the back<br />
of the head and allows a good balance that<br />
will not disturb runner’s comfort.<br />
The new Spot model features Power Tap<br />
technology, allowing it to adjust from a low to<br />
a full setting in just one tap. It can be set to<br />
economy mode to conserve battery life, but<br />
if more light is needed, just one tap on the<br />
housing will make its beam bounce to 100%<br />
output while another tap will return the light<br />
to its previous setting. This model has a 135<br />
lumen output and will burn for 200 hours on<br />
the economy setting.<br />
LED Lenser headlamps and lights, such as the<br />
LED Lenser SEO 5, is especially great for performance<br />
oriented outdoor enthusiasts, says<br />
Connock. This headlamp features a 180-lumen<br />
output that covers approximately 120m and<br />
its dim memory is able to automatically recall<br />
the last dimming setting before switching off.<br />
Silva has a range of headlamps that are specifically<br />
designed for running in lowlight or no<br />
light conditions, says Kim Romanis from local<br />
distributor Lite Optec.<br />
They offer the Silva Jogger, which has a very<br />
high powered LED that is ideal for complimenting<br />
low street lighting, she says.<br />
“The Silva Trail Runner, with a light output<br />
of over 100 Lumens, is the ideal lightweight<br />
choice for night time running in anything from<br />
dim light to total darkness.”<br />
The Trail Runner uses the Silva Intelligent<br />
Light distribution technology, which offers a<br />
unique combination of a long distance spot<br />
light and close range flood light at the same<br />
time.<br />
Silva also offers a range of safety lighting. All<br />
runners who run in lowlight conditions should<br />
be wearing safety lights to make them visible,<br />
says Romanis. She recommends the Tyto Red<br />
and White Lamps that easily attach to headbands,<br />
jackets, bikes, etc. The Tyto Red also<br />
comes with two safety modes — constant on<br />
and blinking.<br />
New CityTrail running concept<br />
A nEw running concept, CityTrail, is being<br />
introduced with a three race series in<br />
Johannesburg (22 March), Cape Town (17<br />
May) and Durban (14 June). It is sponsored<br />
by Salomon and Suunto and organised by<br />
Wildrunner.<br />
This concept is for runners who want to<br />
experience the enjoyment of a road or<br />
trail running in their everyday environment<br />
with its many networks of paths, trails,<br />
stairs and shortcuts that can be used for<br />
running. CityTrail is about using these networks<br />
and turning the concrete jungle into<br />
regular workout — with variety.<br />
It’s about exploring new routes and venturing<br />
off the beaten path to see what are<br />
not seen every day. Surfaces and terrain<br />
on these runs will vary from pavement to<br />
dirt or wood, but the mountain running approach<br />
will remain constant.
p40 :: Apparel & Footwear<br />
Running range information<br />
There are new minimalist and triathlon shoes, as well as new technologies in the latest running shoe ranges<br />
Asics<br />
Asics, locally distributed by Jordan & Co, has<br />
introduced the Gel-Lyte 33 3 for elite runners<br />
preferring a natural, minimalist shoe, or neutral<br />
runners seeking an alternative shoe<br />
for training. With no heel counter<br />
support, and a fluid axis to<br />
twist and bend, it follows<br />
the natural<br />
foot<br />
motion.<br />
Its asymmetrical<br />
multi-density<br />
forefoot improves midsole<br />
deformation and efficient toe-off, while a<br />
guidance line further promotes a natural foot<br />
motion. It features a light, seamless upper.<br />
The Gel-Super J33 is suitable for the natural<br />
runner seeking more stability, or for overpronators<br />
looking for an alternative training shoe.<br />
A high density EVA medial side gives stability,<br />
while its fluidaxis allows a central run. The<br />
fluidaxis is a line under the shoe where the<br />
most pressure is exerted during the gait cycle,<br />
which helps the runner to follow the same gait<br />
cycle with every step, reducing injury risk.<br />
Brooks<br />
The new Brooks running range, locally distributed<br />
by SBR Agencies, feature several<br />
technologies like Brooks’ DNA cushioning, a<br />
full-length segmented crash pad that offers<br />
support and cushioning, Omega flex grooves<br />
that enhance forefoot flexibility and allow<br />
easy heel-to-toe movement, and 3D Fit Print<br />
technology to give a no-stitch fit.<br />
In addition, the Glycerin 11 has concave<br />
forefoot pods to prevent unnecessary side<br />
movement, while the Adrenaline GTS 14’s has<br />
a Progressive Diagonal Rollbar (PDRB) to give<br />
stability. The lightweight Pureflow 3 features<br />
adaptable BioMogo DNA cushioning, and a<br />
rounded heel. Its sculpted medial arch is intergrated<br />
with the upper for a closer fit.<br />
The Cascadia 9 trail shoe features adaptable<br />
BioMogo DNA cushioning and a Ballistic<br />
Rock Shield under the forefoot to protect<br />
against rugged terrain. A 4-point Pivot posting<br />
system guides the foot into neutral transition<br />
on bumpy trails. It has a no-sew upper and flat<br />
laces that offer more security.<br />
The Puregrit 2 has a 4mm heel-to-toe drop<br />
with a curved heel that encourages a more<br />
forward foot strike. Its concave outsole has<br />
a multi-directional lug pattern that ensures<br />
grip, while its simple and secure upper hugs<br />
the wearer’s foot.<br />
Hi-Tec<br />
Hi-Tec offers racing and off-road shoes. New<br />
to their range is the Haraka (for men and ladies),<br />
a lightweight racer with a breathable<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
upper and on trend design.<br />
Their Shadow Trail, with its broad Vibram<br />
outsole, is ideal for running on uneven surfaces<br />
when doing off-road running.<br />
Their R156 (men’s) and R157 (ladies) running<br />
shoes feature moisture wicking anti-bacterial<br />
linings that keep the foot dry and odourless,<br />
while their lightweight EVA midsoles offer<br />
cushioning and stability.<br />
Inov-8<br />
Inov-8, locally distributed by Rebel Elite Fitness,<br />
now offers a road and triathlon footwear<br />
range. The Tri-X-Treme range (above) is their<br />
first shoe specifically for triathlon runners. It<br />
consists of the well cushioned 275 for men and<br />
245 for women, which have an 8mm heel-totoe<br />
drop. The more stripped down 225 is a unisex<br />
model for shorter events, or for runners<br />
and triathletes who perform at higher speeds.<br />
All Tri-X-Treme models come with a seamless<br />
inner for running without socks and drainage<br />
channels in the midsole allow water to flow<br />
out of the shoe with ease. They come standard<br />
with bungee style laces and an innovative lace<br />
locking system and loops on heel and tongue<br />
for easy pulling on and off.<br />
Strategically placed ‘sticky rubber’ pads in<br />
only the necessary areas of the outsole reduces<br />
the shoe’s weight, but also provides the<br />
runner with a plush, comfortable ride.<br />
Although aimed at the triathlon market,<br />
“the shoe will also appeal to road runners<br />
looking for a high performance racer or trainer<br />
for medium to long distances, says Inov-8 SA<br />
brand manager, Donovan van Gelder, himself<br />
a triathlete.<br />
Mizuno<br />
Mizuno, the official sponsor of the Cape Peninsula<br />
Marathon and 21km race, have introduced<br />
four new Wave models. The Wave Rider 17 and<br />
Wave Inspire 10 both feature the new U4iC<br />
midsole and radius outsole that give a smoother<br />
ride for mid/forefoot strikers, and also new<br />
sockliners and blown rubber forefoot. They<br />
are also made of lighter materials.<br />
The Wave Rider 17 is an everyday trainer,<br />
whereas the Wave Inspire 10 offers<br />
runners good support and<br />
features a lower wave<br />
midsole geometry and<br />
a wider gauge that<br />
improves stability.<br />
The Wave Sayonara features a U4iC midsole<br />
that provides a good cushioning to weight ratio.<br />
It also has a G3 durable outsole that gives<br />
good grip and traction.<br />
The wave Ascend 8 is a dynamic shoe that<br />
gives protection on fast runs. Its X-lug outsole<br />
allows multi-directional grip, without adding<br />
unnecessary weight, and the upper offers a<br />
more secure fit, while maintaining flexibility<br />
for natural movement.<br />
New Balance<br />
New Balance’s<br />
Fresh Foam<br />
980 combines<br />
ultra-plush cushioning<br />
and a reduced<br />
drop from heel<br />
to forefoot while offering<br />
a soft and bouncy ride that<br />
protects runners without sacrificing<br />
speed.<br />
Its midsole offers cushioning properties<br />
and stability in a more minimal package.<br />
The shoe has been engineered to bring natural<br />
underfoot geometries alongside a cushioned<br />
ride with a blend of soft, responsive foam. Its<br />
blown rubber outsole is durable, flexible and<br />
has a 4mm natural drop last that provides a<br />
light and stable ride.<br />
A lightweight, breathable construction with<br />
a simple plush upper that keeps the wearer’s<br />
feet comfortable and protected. This show<br />
has a unique spray paint finish with a fresh,<br />
eye-catching design.<br />
Olympic<br />
The Orion (Ladies) and Targa (mens) from<br />
Olympic, locally distributed by Jordan & CO.,<br />
use colour fast PVC and PU synthetic leather<br />
in the upper and their overlays are backed<br />
by woven polyester for strength and durability.<br />
Tongues and collars are padded with soft,<br />
closed cell.<br />
Insock’s made of non-woven material offer<br />
directional stability, durability and comfort.<br />
The vamp linings of these shoes are made with<br />
polyester and their quarter linings use industrial<br />
quality woven material. Their eyelet supports<br />
and loops are made of PVC and evenly<br />
spaced for better tension control.<br />
Durable rubber blend compounds in the<br />
outsole, reduce wear and pressure to increase<br />
comfortability. The soles are flexible<br />
and deep tread patterns make them slip resistant<br />
on any surface.
CLEVER THINGS FOR KEY RINGS<br />
KeyTool<br />
8 tools taking up no extra room in your pocket — simply wraps<br />
around your key on your keyring giving you 8 essential tools.<br />
Clip<br />
TelePen<br />
3 x Clip<br />
TelePen and<br />
black ink refi lls.<br />
KeyRing<br />
System<br />
Simply a better<br />
way to carry<br />
your keys and<br />
accessories<br />
around with<br />
you than a<br />
common split<br />
ring.<br />
MultiMate Mini<br />
This high grade stainless steel mini multi-tool will handle most of<br />
those daily tasks without wadding out your pocket.<br />
EyeGlass<br />
A keyring magnifying glass — perfect for when you are on the go,<br />
have forgotten your reading glasses or just need that extra bit of<br />
assistance in seeing the small things that matter.<br />
FireStash<br />
This<br />
unbelievably<br />
small<br />
waterproof<br />
keyring<br />
canister<br />
houses a<br />
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p42 :: Industry<br />
Sponsors of SA<br />
sport federations<br />
South AfricA’S biggest sport federations<br />
have unequal success in attracting<br />
sponsors. Some have been punished by<br />
withdrawal of sponsorships, while others,<br />
that attract high TV viewership, get<br />
new sponsors despite concerns about issues<br />
of governance.<br />
Athletics SA: The federation was recently<br />
unsuspended by SASCOC so that<br />
athletes can participate in the Commonwealth<br />
Games in July, but it is still<br />
unclear which of the boards may legally<br />
run ASA. The federation’s website is not<br />
functioning and no news about sponsors<br />
— if any — are available.<br />
cricket SA: adidas, Castle Lager, Blue<br />
Label, Sunfoil, KFC, TM Lewin, Ram,<br />
Powerade, Budget, Coca Cola, Momentum<br />
Health, Cell C and SuperSport.<br />
Golf Association of SA: Technical<br />
sponsor Titleist, other sponsors: Indwe,<br />
Sanlam, Tempest and Volvo.<br />
Netball SA: Name sponsor Spar. Other:<br />
Tsogo Sun. Technical sponsors Asics and<br />
Mitre.<br />
SA football Association: ABSA and<br />
Puma withdrew sponsorship last year<br />
around the time when SAFA administrators<br />
suspended after match-fixing allegations<br />
were re-appointed. Nike recently<br />
became sponsor and supplier. Other:<br />
Castle Lager (Bafana Bafana), Sasol<br />
(Banyana Banyana), and Sasol, Nedbank<br />
and SAB are league sponsors. EY, Energade<br />
and Tsogo Sun are suppliers.<br />
SA hockey Association: Sponsors:<br />
Investec and Mugg & Bean. Suppliers:<br />
adidas and Mr Price Sports. Other: BDO,<br />
BSN Medical, Tsogo Sun, Virgin Active.<br />
SA rugby union: Asics, ABSA, BMW<br />
and SAA are Tier 1 Springbok sponsors.<br />
Vodacom, Energade, Shield, Tsogo Sun<br />
and Castle Lager are Tier 2 Associate<br />
sponsors. Additional 11 other sponsors,<br />
including Gilbert as a supplier.<br />
Swimming South Africa: Without a<br />
main corporate sponsor after Telkom<br />
did not renew their R11-m sponsorship.<br />
Arena is the technical sponsor. Lack of<br />
funds resulted in swimmers and water<br />
polo players asked to fund international<br />
participation — water polo team members<br />
asked to pay R270 000 to participate<br />
in Commonwealth championship<br />
in April.<br />
tennis SA: Sponsored by Keyhealth.<br />
Technical sponsors: Babolat, Dunlop,<br />
Prince, Slazenger and Wilson.<br />
Responsible<br />
sponsorship<br />
South African companies spent about R4.5-bn on sponsorships in<br />
2012, which gives them considerable financial clout when dealing with<br />
sport federations, athletes and other beneficiaries. Sponsors should<br />
use their financial power to ensure better governance, accountability<br />
and fair competition from the athletes and federations they fund, is<br />
becoming a mantra heard at conferences across the world.<br />
Trudi du Toit explains why<br />
Lie with the dogs and stand up with<br />
the fleas, the Romans said. Translated<br />
into sport terms it means:<br />
associate with an unethical sports<br />
body, team or athlete, and everybody<br />
will assume you’re just as crooked.<br />
Sponsors know that they should distance<br />
themselves from athletes and teams caught<br />
doing wrong. But, in ever louder voices, they<br />
are being urged to demand accountability from<br />
administrators and athletes and play a pro-active<br />
role to keep sport fair and drug-free.<br />
Taking it a step further: monetary rewards<br />
from sponsors contribute to the win-at-all<br />
-cost attitude of some administrators, athletes<br />
and coaches, which could lead to unethical<br />
practices like cheating and doping. Sponsors<br />
should therefore take responsibility for what<br />
is done with the monetary rewards they offer.<br />
This was a recurring theme touched on by<br />
several speakers at the I Play Fair Sports Law<br />
Conference held in Cape Town in November<br />
last year. For example:<br />
• “Commercialisation of sport can lead to a<br />
conflict with ethics,” said prof James<br />
Nafziger, Director of International Law at<br />
the Willamette University in Oregon. The<br />
role of corporate power in sport is ever increasing<br />
— as demonstrated by the millions<br />
in sponsorship dollars that motivated athletes<br />
like Lance Armstrong to do anything it<br />
takes to win, and this can become problematic<br />
when sponsors put pressure on athletes<br />
to win, or turn a blind eye to ethical violations,<br />
he cautioned.<br />
• The resources spent to develop innovative<br />
products and initiatives from corporations<br />
are some of the factors that can influence<br />
professional athletes to abuse substances<br />
that will keep their sporting success dreams<br />
alive — and help them to do the jobs for<br />
which they are paid, said prof Cora Burnett,<br />
research professor at the University of<br />
Johannesburg. The pressure to perform at<br />
all times and not letting the team down can<br />
contribute to substance abuse.<br />
• “The financial incentives alone make it easy<br />
for us to see how elite athletes and management<br />
are sometimes tempted to break the<br />
rules,” said lawyer and former CEO of the<br />
International Netball Federation, Urvasi Naidoo.<br />
“But, if a sport cannot guarantee integrity<br />
at elite level, commercial sponsors, as<br />
well as the fans and media, will eventually<br />
abandon the sport.<br />
• Sponsors who keep on supporting an athlete<br />
or governing body that is corrupt, is “guilty<br />
by association,” Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller<br />
said. “What is the point of Skins selling products<br />
to enhance performance and recovery<br />
to people who compete at any level, if they<br />
believe the top-level sport we’re supporting<br />
is rotten to the core? It’s guilt by association<br />
and it makes no sense at all.”<br />
Changing Cycling<br />
Fuller became a global champion for good<br />
governance and anti-doping in sport when<br />
he demonstrated that even a relatively small<br />
sponsor can change the well-entrenched leadership<br />
of a powerful federation, like the International<br />
Cycling Union (UCI).<br />
In the wake of the Lance Armstrong indictment<br />
by the US anti-doping association, USADA,<br />
Fuller drew the ire of former UCI presidents Pat<br />
McQuaid and Hein Verbruggen when he cheekily<br />
sued them for $2-m for bringing the sport into<br />
disrepute. This devalued Skins’ sponsorship of a<br />
major cycling team, he argued.<br />
This got their attention, all right, and in a vicious<br />
blog, McQuaid vs Cookson, the integrity<br />
of Fuller and Brian Cookson (who successfully<br />
challenged McQuaid for the presidency) were<br />
repeatedly attacked.<br />
Ironically, Fuller had originally believed in<br />
Armstrong’s innocence. But, he became aggrieved<br />
as a commercial partner by the attacks<br />
by the UCI, and especially McQuaid, on<br />
USADA and its CEO Travis Tygart, instead of investigating<br />
the accusations against Armstrong.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
Industry :: p43<br />
Travis Tygart, USADA CEO, told the Sports Law Conference<br />
what steps they took to verify the evidence<br />
against Lance Armstorng and the extent of the UCI<br />
campaign against them.<br />
Skins chairman Jaimie Fuller was<br />
one of the speakers at the I Play<br />
Fair Sports Law Conference in Cape<br />
Town, where he explained how the<br />
Pure Sport #ChooseTheRightTrack<br />
campaign was promoting better governance<br />
in sport.<br />
Especially, after he read the evidence.<br />
“I was waiting for the proper sponsors to<br />
step in and do something.” When none spoke<br />
up, Fuller realised that it was up to him to do<br />
something. “I had this naive perspective that<br />
people in responsible roles are primarily there<br />
to administer a sport.”<br />
In response, Fuller and other concerned people<br />
founded Change Cycling Now (CCN) in December<br />
2012, which played an active role in<br />
the bruising election campaign that resulted<br />
in McQuaid and friends being ousted from running<br />
the UCI in September 2013.<br />
CCN, for example, helped fund court cases —<br />
inter alia of Irish journalist Pat Krimmage, who<br />
was sued for libel by McQuaid — and started<br />
a magazine, Abnormal, to present an alternative<br />
view to the attacks from the McQuaidcamp.<br />
Skins’ marketing budget contributed,<br />
although Fuller tried to keep the brand’s involvement<br />
at a minimum.<br />
“When we were forming CCN, there was no<br />
Skins visible, because I was very sensitive to<br />
keeping the brand out,” says Fuller. “There<br />
were whispers that it was just a publicity stunt<br />
to sell Skins, but this (the campaign) was so<br />
important that I didn’t want to devalue it by<br />
accusations of commercialisation.”<br />
It created tension between him and the Skins<br />
management team who were not so convinced<br />
that this corporate responsibility initiative<br />
(CSI) justified the use of marketing funds,<br />
Fuller admits.<br />
Despite continuously being told that “you’ll<br />
never get anything done. The system is too<br />
big” McQuaid was denied a third term as president<br />
by a mere three votes.<br />
“There is no question that the UCI will<br />
change. The reality of what the new guys are<br />
trying to put in place is enormous,” says Fuller.<br />
“This is a chance to take the sport with the<br />
worst reputation and change it over a period.”<br />
He believes cycling can become an example<br />
for other sport.<br />
He demonstrated that<br />
even a relatively small<br />
sponsor can change the<br />
well-entrenched leadership<br />
of a powerful federation,<br />
like the UCI<br />
Responsibility brands<br />
Since then, Fuller became a regular speaker<br />
at international conferences on sport governance<br />
— for example, before coming to Cape<br />
Town last year he spoke at the 8th Play the<br />
Game Conference in Aarhus, Denmark, on Why<br />
corporate sponsors should engage in sports<br />
governance.<br />
There was growing concern from sponsors<br />
at this conference about being aligned to international<br />
federations who are just grabbing<br />
more power, says Fuller. He believes there are<br />
ways that sponsors can work together to exert<br />
their financial clout in order to keep federations<br />
on the right track, and is working on a<br />
plan to set this in motion.<br />
Sport brands are especially vulnerable when<br />
they associate themselves with unethical federations,<br />
he believes. While the reputations of<br />
big brands like Sony or Coca-Cola would not<br />
really be affected if the reputation of the federation<br />
they are associated is tarnished, the<br />
damage to a sports brand could be enormous.<br />
Sponsor dollars are being reduced all over<br />
the world — it is becoming harder for all federations<br />
to get sponsorships — and therefore<br />
sponsors should demand to see how the federation<br />
is conducting its business and spend<br />
their money, he argues.<br />
Brands aligning themselves to a sport federation<br />
should consider this a CSI initiative, rather<br />
than marketing exercise, and therefore play an<br />
active role to ensure that they are associated<br />
with a clean and wholesome product, Fuller<br />
told delegates at the Sports Law Conference.<br />
In a follow-up newsletter he wrote: I believe<br />
sponsors can no longer pay for the exposure a<br />
sponsorship package will give them and then<br />
calmly sit back and simply wait for the association<br />
to benefit their business. There’s no<br />
point in operating commercially if you’re not<br />
prepared to stand up for every athlete and<br />
sports fan who wants to watch, or take part,<br />
in a fair contest.<br />
Pure Sport<br />
After leaving Cape Town, Fuller and Ben Johnson<br />
— the Canadian 100m world champion<br />
who was stripped of his titles when he tested<br />
positive in the Seoul Olympics in 1988 — spoke<br />
at a Sport versus Crime conference in Dubai.<br />
There, more than 50 participants from 25<br />
countries discussed how to create sport without<br />
crime, and how sport can combat crime.<br />
This was part of the Skins Pure Sport campaign,<br />
aimed at improving sport governance<br />
and empowering athletes to stay clean and<br />
honest. This time, Skins is fully on board.<br />
Because Johnson’s disgrace was such a<br />
memorable occurrence, Fuller last year chose<br />
him to accompany him on a tour to the UK,<br />
Canada, US, Australia and Japan to promote<br />
anti-doping, ending in Seoul on the 25th anniversary<br />
of the historical event.<br />
Apart from the fact that he knew that Johnson<br />
would have much more impact than some<br />
clean-cut kid preaching anti-doping, they also<br />
wanted to get the message across that after<br />
25 years, nothing much had changed to help<br />
athletes overcome the temptation of doping<br />
to enhance their performance. If anything, it<br />
is worse than before, Johnson said.<br />
Dubbed the #ChooseTheRightTrack initiative,<br />
Johnson participated because he was<br />
part of the problem, and therefore wanted to<br />
be part of the solution.<br />
“I spent five weeks with Johnson and I’m<br />
very proud of that campaign,” says Fuller. “I<br />
hope in ten years’ time he will look back and<br />
say I made a change for good.”<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p44 :: Sport<br />
Developing<br />
team sport<br />
and sales<br />
Soccer, rugby and netball are the biggest participation<br />
sports in South Africa — and therefore generate<br />
good retail sales. What are the sport federations doing<br />
to keep the grass roots numbers high and create<br />
new customers? YAMKELA MKEBE reports<br />
At grassroots level, soccer, netball<br />
and rugby are the most popular<br />
participation sports in South Africa.<br />
Of these, by far most active<br />
South Africans play soccer, while<br />
netball tops the charts for women.<br />
In a survey conducted for Sport and Recreation<br />
SA (SRSA) in 2005 titled Participation<br />
Patterns in Sport and Recreation Activities in<br />
South Africa, 11% of the respondents said that<br />
they played soccer — compared to the 3% who<br />
play netball, 2% who play rugby and 1% or less,<br />
who participate in cricket and all other sports<br />
In addition, 29% of the non-participants said<br />
they wanted to play soccer — 17% only socially.<br />
In comparison, 9% non-participants said they<br />
wanted to play netball (5% socially) and 5%<br />
rugby (3% socially).<br />
The kit, balls and footwear sold for these<br />
sports constitute an important part of a sport<br />
retailer’s stock. Retailers therefore have a<br />
vested interest to know that new players are<br />
constantly being recruited, that the necessary<br />
facilities and training are in place, and<br />
that they are kept interested in participating<br />
through sufficient leagues and competitions.<br />
In other words, that enough is being done to<br />
grow these sports at grassroots level.<br />
Soccer development plans<br />
In the trying times experienced by South African<br />
soccer on international level, plans to<br />
improve the standard of the game from grassroots<br />
level, have been tabled. The South African<br />
Football Association (SAFA) announced<br />
their development plans to strengthen soccer<br />
after a three-day SAFA lekgotla in February.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
There are currently 341<br />
LFA’s registered with SAFA,<br />
each LFA representing<br />
from 30 to over 200 clubs<br />
This comes not long after new SAFA president<br />
Danny Jordaan said that “big changes<br />
are underway at SAFA, not just at the national<br />
team level, but at grassroots. If we want to<br />
build a winning team for the future, we have<br />
to have efficient structures in place right from<br />
school level.”<br />
These remarks were made in January, just<br />
after Bafana Bafana was knocked out in the<br />
early stages of the African Nations Championship<br />
(Chan). Jordaan promised a new name,<br />
new technical staff and a new technical sponsor<br />
for the national team.<br />
In the beginning of last year, after SAFA<br />
failed to act against officials identified by FIFA<br />
in a pre-2010 match fixing scandal, Puma and<br />
ABSA withdrew as sponsors, but Nike stepped<br />
in as sponsor at the beginning of this year.<br />
Shortly after he was elected to head a revamped<br />
SAFA board at the end of last year,<br />
Jordaan spelled out a development plan for<br />
the next ten years.<br />
One of the objectives of SAFA’s Master Technical<br />
Plan, also known as Vision 2022, is to<br />
have all the national football teams ranked in<br />
the top three in Africa and in the top twenty<br />
in the world. They hope to achieve this in the<br />
next ten years.<br />
History shows that this aim is not beyond<br />
reach, as Bafana Bafana was ranked #19 in<br />
1996, when they also occupied the #1 spot<br />
in Africa, and won the African Cup of Nations<br />
trophy. It will, however, be an uphill battle<br />
as according to FIFA’s latest rankings, Bafana<br />
Bafana is #64 in the world and #12 in Africa,<br />
and the women’s team, Banyana Banyana, at<br />
#50 in the world and #4 in Africa.The men’s<br />
team have been unable to do sufficiently well<br />
in Africa to qualify for the last few World Cups<br />
on merit.<br />
But, to regain the ground that was lost over<br />
the past twenty years, soccer will have to be<br />
improved from the bottom up.<br />
When Bafana Bafana won the CAF trophy in<br />
2000, Clive Barker had a pool of at least 200<br />
South Africans in the 20 teams in the domestic<br />
leagues to choose from. Now, the 16 domestic<br />
teams only need to have six local players, giving<br />
Gordon Igesund effectively 96 players to<br />
choose from, SAFA reported to the Parliamentary<br />
Committe on Sport.<br />
Grassroots development<br />
Apart from the current hundred private development<br />
centres and sport school academies<br />
registered with SAFA, they will now establish a<br />
number of academies in all provinces.<br />
“Ideally, each of the academies should<br />
house 15 players at each age level from U14<br />
upwards,” says SAFA Development Agency<br />
(SDA) CEO, Dr Robin Petersen. “They will be<br />
launched province by province as we identify<br />
suitable partners and places,” he adds.<br />
The SDA, headed by the former SAFA CEO,<br />
was established a year ago with the aim of improving<br />
soccer below national level. But, their<br />
scope was limited by funds, having raised only
Sport :: p45<br />
Free State played<br />
against Gauteng in<br />
the SAB U21 National<br />
Championship<br />
tournament at Idas<br />
Valley in July last year.<br />
Photo: Roger Sedres<br />
R30-40-m for development, SAFA told the Parliamentary<br />
Committee on Sport in February.<br />
Sasol last year became the first corporate<br />
sponsor of SAFA’s Development Agency (SDA).<br />
The petrochemicals company has been involved<br />
in development for over 20 years,<br />
supporting the U23 men’s national team,<br />
Amaglug-glug, and the women’s national team<br />
Banyana Banyana, and have now strengthened<br />
their ties with SAFA through grassroots development.<br />
For the next coming three years Sasol<br />
will contribute R3-m towards the agency.<br />
Sasol’s sponsorship will be used for developing<br />
grassroots structures in the Fezile Dabi<br />
region in the Free State, which includes the<br />
town Sasolburg, and the neighbouring Gert<br />
Sibande region in Mpumalanga.<br />
Last year, SAFA established the U13 and U15<br />
leagues for boys and girls, which is a first step<br />
in the journey of enhancing the standard of<br />
soccer in the country, says Petersen.<br />
This should also increase interest in soccer<br />
amongst school age players.<br />
For retailers, each new league means that<br />
they can sell new team kit to the competing<br />
teams, as well as match balls for the extra<br />
matches.<br />
In a further step to improve grassroots play<br />
and encourage new players to enter, the SDA<br />
last year announced plans to grow the number<br />
of licenced coaches at Local Football Associations<br />
(LFA’s) to 15 000. They aim to do this by<br />
increasing the number of coaching educators<br />
from 30 to 150. Level 3 and level 2 coaches<br />
would be trained to become coaching educators,<br />
who would, in turn, train aspirant coaches<br />
in two LFA’s each.<br />
The ClubWise course, the<br />
first of its kind for rugby<br />
club in administration,<br />
covers every aspect of<br />
club administration<br />
Soccer player numbers<br />
There are currently 341 LFA’s registered with<br />
SAFA countrywide, with each LFA representing<br />
many clubs. “The number of clubs and teams<br />
in each LFA varies widely, from 30 to over 200<br />
clubs in some of the larger LFAs,” say Petersen.<br />
There are therefore between 10 000 to 68<br />
000 grassroots soccer clubs in the country. If<br />
each club only manages to attract a minimum<br />
squad of 15 players, there are 150 000 to 1-m<br />
registered soccer players involved in league<br />
play at club level — not counting schools.<br />
KwaZulu Natal is topping the number of LFA’s<br />
(70), followed by the Eastern Cape (57) and<br />
the Western Cape (55) with the third most local<br />
football associations. Most of the LFA’s are<br />
clustered around the big cities.<br />
At school level, soccer is managed by SAFA’s<br />
associate, The SA School Football Association<br />
(SASFA). A research project is currently underway<br />
to establish how many school leagues are<br />
functioning and how many school players participate,<br />
says Petersen.<br />
Big plans from Netball SA<br />
For Netball South Africa the launch of the<br />
much anticipated Netball Premier League<br />
(NPL) will be one of the priorities they hope<br />
to achieve this year. The league was supposed<br />
to be launched last year, but it failed to get<br />
off the ground.<br />
A professional league will of-<br />
Local Football Associations<br />
KwaZulu Natal 70<br />
Eastern Cape 57<br />
Western Cape 55<br />
Gauteng 48<br />
Northern Cape 27<br />
Limpopo 25<br />
Free State 22<br />
North West 19<br />
Mpumalanga 18<br />
Total 341<br />
To p46<br />
Most<br />
LFA’s are<br />
in regions<br />
aound big<br />
cities and<br />
sparsely<br />
populated<br />
areas<br />
therefore<br />
have<br />
fewer<br />
football<br />
clubs.<br />
South African rugby players —<br />
November 2006<br />
Pre-teen male players 169 980<br />
Pre-teen female players 2 248<br />
Total junior players 172 228<br />
Teen male players 129 191<br />
Teen female players 7 595<br />
Total youth players 136 786<br />
Senior male players 147 650<br />
Senior female players 7 813<br />
Total senior players 155 463<br />
Total male players 446 821<br />
Total female players 17 656<br />
Total players 464 477<br />
Estimated teams 30 965<br />
Registered referees 2 056<br />
Source: www.irb.com<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p46 :: Sport<br />
Grassroots development cont from p45<br />
Thuli Qegu shoots at goal during the Spar Proteas<br />
squad camp held in Potchefstroom to prepare for the<br />
Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in July.<br />
Photo: Mario van de Wall.<br />
fer the thousands of girls who play netball at<br />
school a goal — and possible career option —<br />
after they no longer play in the school leagues.<br />
There were approximately 1.95-m adult and<br />
junior netball players in South Africa in 2012,<br />
according to research company Accelerate’s<br />
Gary Grant.<br />
By far most netball players are black, reports<br />
Grant: 1.5-m black women, or 77% of the total,<br />
and 222 200 white women play netball.<br />
But netball is the #1 participation sport among<br />
women of all races, according to statistics<br />
from a 2007 BMI survey quoted in the SRSA’s<br />
A Case for Sport and Recreation publication.<br />
Netball is the third most popular sport among<br />
all school children — following soccer and athletics<br />
— and above rugby and cricket.<br />
In order to improve the level of play, Netball<br />
SA last year held workshops for grassroots<br />
coaches in every province and staged national<br />
tournaments to identify potential future Protea<br />
players.<br />
In order to develop the sport, it is a priority<br />
for the association to attract more partners<br />
who would invest in netball, says Netball SA<br />
president Mimi Mthethwa. “A lot of companies<br />
are beginning to show interest in netball,” she<br />
says. “This brings hope that we would soon<br />
have adequate partners.”<br />
In addition to Spar as named sponsor, Asics<br />
was announced as the new apparel sponsor of<br />
the SPAR Proteas and the U21 side in March<br />
this year. Last year ball supplier Mitre announced<br />
a R2.5-m sponsorship of Netball SA<br />
for the next seven years.<br />
Attracting sponsors<br />
SA Schools Netball (SASN) is sponsored by Mitre,<br />
Xco Sport and NuPay. Their objective is<br />
to encourage mass participation in netball at<br />
school level by assisting with coaching and<br />
participation in leagues at school, district, regional,<br />
provincial and national levels.<br />
Since last year, regular live broadcasts of<br />
the matches played by the national side, Spar<br />
Proteas, have generated more interest in the<br />
sport, especially since the national team have<br />
been performing well.<br />
The Proteas last year won the Africa Championships<br />
in Malawi, beat world #3 England<br />
to win the Tri-Nations in Port Elizabeth, and<br />
the SPAR Baby Proteas came 5th at the World<br />
Youth Netball Championships in Glasgow. They<br />
are therefore confident that they could win a<br />
medal at the Commonwealth Games in Scotland.<br />
According to Mthethwa the top four countries<br />
in the world have shown increased interest<br />
in playing against the Proteas as they<br />
realize that the country is an To p48
EACH<br />
STEP BRINGS<br />
SOMEDAY<br />
CLOSER TO TODAY<br />
WHAT’S YOUR CALLING?<br />
TBWA\HUNT\LASCARIS 314224<br />
CONTACT 087 940 4664 TO FIND<br />
YOUR NEAREST STOCKIST
p48 :: Sport<br />
Grassroots development cont from p46<br />
emerging force.<br />
Rugby development<br />
There are several development initiatives under<br />
way to grow rugby participation, which<br />
was just under half a million registered players,<br />
according to the last figures available<br />
(www.irb.com). More than 300 000 players are<br />
still at school, and nearly 18 000 are women.<br />
This will be done through initiatives to help<br />
improve club administration and performance<br />
of rugby players.<br />
“Club rugby is the lifeblood of the sport and<br />
its administration plays a vital role in developing<br />
rugby at grassroots level,” said Mervin<br />
Green, South African Rugby Union (SARU) GM<br />
Development, when the Clubwise programme<br />
was launched in January this year.<br />
He also said that if all clubs get to function<br />
well, it would contribute hugely to successful<br />
rugby development.<br />
The ClubWise course, the first of its kind for<br />
rugby club in administration, covers every aspect<br />
of club administration — from goals and<br />
governance to player and member welfare by<br />
way of fund-raising, financials and marketing<br />
and match-day activities.<br />
The development of player performance at<br />
According to figures from the IRB, there were more<br />
than 300 000 rugby players at school level at the<br />
end of 2006. Photo: Nicol du Toit.<br />
all levels — even as young as U13 — will be<br />
assisted with a new Footprint computer programme,<br />
designed to capture each player’s<br />
performance, so that it can be monitored<br />
over the years. The tool was introduced at a<br />
recent symposium held in Stellenbosch where<br />
coaches from junior, provincial to national<br />
team level could share ideas. This is a followup<br />
to SARU’s HP Mobi-Unit introduced in 2013.<br />
A new rugby academy has been launched to<br />
develop young rugby players in the Boland.<br />
It is expected that this academy will ensure<br />
that a number of black young players are exposed<br />
to top flight rugby.<br />
The growth and development of the game is<br />
not limited to South Africa. A conference was<br />
recently held in Cape Town where development<br />
and growing the game was top of the<br />
agenda. The conference, which was part of the<br />
IRB Development Strategy aimed at growing<br />
rugby around the world, was attended by rugby<br />
administrators from several African countries,<br />
including Botswana, Kenya, Madagascar,<br />
Senegal, Tunisia, Uganda and Zimbabwe.<br />
A further development is bound to grow<br />
rugby interest on the soccer-mad continent:<br />
Kenya’s Tusker Simba XV will replace the Argentinian<br />
Pampas in the Vodacom Cup.<br />
This could create a new option for selling<br />
replica shirts among expats.
p50 :: Sport<br />
Team sport news<br />
Ruan Fourie(IIRASA), Andrew Borgen(Gilbert KZN) and Dick<br />
Muir(IIRASA)<br />
Gilbert supports rugby academy<br />
GILBERT, LOCALLY distributed by Leisure Holdings, has<br />
renewed their sponsorship of the Investec International<br />
Rugby Academy of South Africa (IIRASA). This means that<br />
Gilbert will remain the exclusive ball and equipment<br />
supplier for IIRASA on all their courses and clinics.<br />
"As a specialist rugby coaching business we believe in<br />
delivering the best possible coaching available with the<br />
best possible knowledge, gear and rugby equipment,”<br />
says IIRASA Director, Ruan Fourie.<br />
“IIRASA engages with only the best coaches and players<br />
to bring their combined knowledge to both players<br />
and coaches of all levels and we are proud to be associated<br />
with such an outstanding programme,” says<br />
Damien Rudham, Gilbert Brand Manager.<br />
Canterbury forms partnerships<br />
CANTERBURY IS supplying the official match ball for all the Varsity Cup and Shield<br />
matches. Players in the 2014 tournament will be using the Transtech Speed match ball.<br />
The high quality ball has a durable 3-ply construction and is weather resistant. An<br />
in-seam valve ensures true balance and consistent flight, while a standard grain outer<br />
ensures good handling.<br />
Canterbury is also the official kit sponsor for Titans Cricket.<br />
Internationally, the brand signed a six-year sponsorship deal with the Irish rugby union.<br />
Ireland will wear their Canterbury kit for the first time when they play against the<br />
Springboks in November. The brand worked with players to develop match, training and<br />
bench wear for all the national teams.<br />
Duane Vermeulen,<br />
the big and<br />
strong Springbok<br />
and Stormers<br />
flanker, will feature<br />
in Skins campaigns<br />
across<br />
South Africa. The<br />
compression<br />
brand is locally<br />
distributed by<br />
Super-Brands.<br />
Springbok and Stormers full-back and centre Jaco Taute (above left) recently signed a three-year<br />
contract with Mizuno, CCC (Canterbury) and Skins, locally distributed by Super-Brands. He will be<br />
playing in the new Mizuno Morelia Neo Mix boot and their Ignitus Blade boot.<br />
Super-Brands Sports (Pty) Trader Ltd | 021 :: 380 20146376 March | www.super-brands.co.za
p52 :: Sport<br />
Team sport news<br />
Most popular rugby boots<br />
ADIDAS HAS been the rugby boot brand of choice for 43% of 258 UK rugby players in the Aviva<br />
Premiership 2013/14. But, interestingly, Mizuno (19%) surpassed Nike (17%), Asics (9%), Puma<br />
(5%), etc. as the second most popular brand worn by rugby players in the Premiership. It is the<br />
fifth season that adidas has been the most popular boot brand and its popularity has grown from<br />
34% last year to 43%. Until last season, Nike, followed by Puma, were the second and third most<br />
popular boot brands. They have now been overtaken by Mizuno, whose popularity has grown<br />
from 16% to 19% of players. Asics, previously in #5, is now the fourth most popular brand, worn<br />
by 9% of players.<br />
This season adidas is especially popular amongst backs (49% of players, compared to the 36%<br />
last year) and is also the most popular brand amongst forwards (39%). Mizuno is worn by the<br />
second most forwards (25%), followed by Nike (14%). Nike is, however, the second most popular<br />
brand amongst backs, followed by Mizuno (12%).<br />
White, worn by 38% of all the players, and black (35%), are the preferred boot colours, followed<br />
by blue (9%), orange (7%) and red (5%). Black remains the most popular boot colour<br />
amongst forwards, followed by white. The back row players, however, prefer white. This season<br />
more forwards also chose to wear blue rather than black boots.<br />
Mizuno’s new Morelia boot for all grounds<br />
MIZUNO’S NEW Morelia Neo Mix rugby boot features fine Kangaroo<br />
leather that provides a quilted and luxurious feel. The upper stitching<br />
offers a secure fit and greater sense of touch, while its<br />
graded Pebax sole plate offers more flexibility and durability<br />
with exceptional weight benefits. A mixed hard and<br />
soft ground stud configuration holds the foot securely and<br />
comfortable in any weather conditions. It also features a<br />
short padded Morelia tongue.<br />
Umbro African boot<br />
UMBRO DESIGNED<br />
their new<br />
GeoFlare<br />
Afriq boot<br />
specifically<br />
for the African market, where it will be worn by<br />
by local Umbro players such as William Twala,<br />
Roger Da Costa and Vuyo Mere (Platinum Stars<br />
captain). The Afriq boot has a competitive price<br />
point and is based on their new GeoFlare boot<br />
silo, which is worn by Umbro’s international<br />
players. The lightweight boot is designed for<br />
the game-changing attacking player, with<br />
features like an enhanced re-ground rubber<br />
print on the toe and an embossed medial pass<br />
pad to enhance ball control, especially in wet<br />
weather.<br />
Nike new SAFA sponsor<br />
NIKE WILL be the SAFA technical sponsor for<br />
the next 5 years. They will launch a limited<br />
edition kit for Bafana Bafana’s friendly match<br />
against Brazil in March, but the 2015-2016 kit<br />
will be launched in November, to be available<br />
at retail from January 2015. Nike will supply<br />
kits and match balls to all nine of SAFA’s men<br />
and women’s national football teams.<br />
W.E.T. Sports Importers<br />
Celebrating 30 Years<br />
For a wider range of products shown, please consult the latest W.E.T. Sports catalogue. Available NOW<br />
Matrix Soccer Ball<br />
Size 5<br />
Tournament Netball<br />
Size 5<br />
Padded Knee Pads<br />
Blue, Red or Black. Sizes S, M, L.<br />
Standard Innersole<br />
Wristbands<br />
Headbands<br />
Double Action Ball Pump<br />
Metal Finger Grip Whistle<br />
Squash Balls<br />
Double Yellow Dot<br />
Magnetic Chalk Holder<br />
9mm Stick-on Tips<br />
7038 Standard Cue Case<br />
Affordable padded vinyl<br />
Fibreglass Snooker/Pool Cue<br />
9mm Tip 2-piece cue with web design finish<br />
Tel: 021-948 8150 • Fax: 021-948 8084 • sales@wetsports.co.za • www.wetsports.co.za
p54 :: Sport<br />
Magic for numbers<br />
TOUCH OF Magic is a specialist company<br />
that imports and distributes a wide range<br />
of heat transferable vinyl used for numbering<br />
and branding sportswear kit. They also<br />
supply heat presses for shirts and caps with<br />
which to apply their range of vinyl.<br />
The introduction of heat transferable<br />
vinyl for numbering, etc. has changed<br />
branding of team kits worldwide. Previously,<br />
numbers had to be stitched or screen<br />
printed onto shirts. This is slower, more<br />
costly, labour intensive and in most cases<br />
cannot be performed by retailers or wholesalers<br />
themselves.<br />
Touch of Magic supplies OS Flex, which<br />
enables the client to cut numbers into any<br />
design, size or colour they require at just<br />
the click of a mouse. It is a simple, clean<br />
and quick process where a full set of rugby<br />
jerseys can be numbered within 15 minutes,<br />
in-house.<br />
OS Flex retains its colour throughout the<br />
life of the garment and does not crack or<br />
peel off. It is used by many teams such as<br />
the Springboks and Sharks, as well as by<br />
schools and sports clubs. OS Flex is also<br />
compatible with sweat management fabrics<br />
— such as Lycra, Nylon, etc. — that are<br />
used in the sportswear apparel industry.<br />
Touch of Magic has 20 years’ experience<br />
in the industry. See their advert below.<br />
Team sport news<br />
Sport Industry Awards for adidas<br />
Acelli Football, entering the big leagues<br />
ACELLI, KEVRO Sport’s technical on-field soccer brand, has<br />
just formed an alliance with Platinum Stars, the Northwest<br />
Premier Soccer League (PSL) team, owned by the Royal<br />
Bafokeng Nation. This alliance will mean that Acelli<br />
Footbal will be the official technical kit sponsor of<br />
Platinum Stars for the next 3 years. Kevro Sport and<br />
Cliff Ramoroa (here with Kevro Sport MD Martin Ferreira),<br />
the Executive Director of Platinum Stars, are<br />
well underway with setting the plan in motion. Platinum<br />
Stars, also known as Dikwena (Crocodiles), was<br />
founded as an amateur club 77 years ago and has<br />
been playing in the PSL for the past ten years.<br />
THIS YEAR, adidas walked away with two of the 15<br />
Discovery Sport Industry Awards.The sports brand<br />
won Best Sponsorship of a Sports Team or Individual —<br />
for their Black is Back campaign that was created for<br />
Orlando Pirates Football Club — and Best Sponsorship<br />
of a Sports Event or Competition — for their involvement<br />
in the Old Mutual Two Oceans Marathon. We are<br />
elated to have won these two accolades. It is a great<br />
tribute to the hard work that the whole marketing<br />
team and the organisation as a whole has put in to<br />
drive our partnerships and sponsorships with formidable<br />
African football giant, Orlando Pirates FC, as<br />
well as the Two Oceans Marathon alike”, said Brad Stern, adidas’ senior brand marketing manager.<br />
BISMARK<br />
2
Advertorial :: p55<br />
presents<br />
brazuca and Samba<br />
The World Cup is theirs for the dominating,<br />
says adidas … and they’re<br />
out to prove it with their striking<br />
World Cup ball and boot launches.<br />
End of 2013, adidas unveiled the<br />
official 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil match ball,<br />
brazuca. The ball was revealed with a spectacular<br />
3D light projection launch event held<br />
at the iconic Parque Lage in Rio de Janeiro.<br />
brazuca, named after a public vote in Brazil<br />
involving 1-m football fans, is an informal local<br />
term, which means Brazilian, or to describe<br />
the Brazilian way of life. In addition to reflecting<br />
the vibrancy and fun associated with football<br />
in Brazil, the colours and ribbon design of<br />
the ball panels symbolise the traditional multicoloured<br />
wish bracelets worn in the country<br />
(fita do Senhor do Bonfim da Bahia).<br />
brazuca went through a thorough<br />
testing process over a two and a half<br />
year period involving more than<br />
600 of the world’s top players<br />
and 30 teams in 10 countries<br />
across three continents —<br />
making it the most tested<br />
ball ever by adidas and<br />
ensuring that it is suited<br />
to all conditions. Clubs involved<br />
in testing included<br />
AC Milan, Bayern Munich,<br />
Palmeiras and Fluminese<br />
and players included Leo<br />
Messi, Iker Casillas, Bastian<br />
Schweinsteiger and<br />
Zinedine Zidane. The ball<br />
has already been tested in<br />
competitive international<br />
matches at the FIFA U20 World<br />
Cup (different print design) and in<br />
a friendly match between Sweden and<br />
Argentina in February 2013.<br />
The technology incorporated into the bladder<br />
and carcass of brazuca is identical to the<br />
Tango 12 (UEFA Euro 2012), Cafusa (FIFA Confederations<br />
Cup 2013) and the UEFA Champions<br />
League official match ball. However, a new<br />
structural innovation with a unique symmetry<br />
of six identical panels alongside a different<br />
surface structure will provide improved grip,<br />
touch, stability and aerodynamics on the pitch.<br />
adidas has made every FIFA World Cup ball<br />
since 1970, and recently extended the partnership<br />
with FIFA until 2030, including the supply<br />
of the official match ball.<br />
Samba!<br />
Their new Brazilian-themed Samba footwear<br />
collection is aimed at celebrating the vibrancy<br />
and exuberance of the World Cup host nation.<br />
For the first time ever, adidas has released<br />
a new boot from each of its four boot ranges.<br />
The electric skye blue adizero f50 (worn<br />
by Leo Messi, Lucas Moura and Gareth Bale)<br />
is for the fastest players. Their SPEEDTRAX-<br />
ION (an all-new, high speed stud alignment<br />
allowing maximum acceleration and pinpoint<br />
changes of direction) and SPEEDFOIL (combines<br />
lightweight, softness and durability for<br />
a comfortable, yet locked down heel fit) technologies<br />
ensure that the boot enhances the<br />
wearer’s speed.<br />
The vibrant pink predator® Lethal Zones<br />
(worn by Oscar, Mesut Ozil and Fernando<br />
Torres) is designed with five<br />
zones that deliver outstanding<br />
ball control, touch, accuracy<br />
and power.<br />
The lime green<br />
nitrocharge (worn by<br />
Dani Alves and Ezequiel<br />
Lavezzi), designed for<br />
The Engine player,<br />
is all about energy<br />
with the elastic<br />
ENERGYSLING around<br />
the forefoot (supports<br />
sidecut and precision<br />
turn movements to<br />
sharpen reactions on the<br />
pitch) and ENERGYPULSE<br />
spring technology (provides<br />
high energy push-offs and<br />
long lasting energy return<br />
when sprinting).<br />
For trade enquiries, contact<br />
adidas SA on Tel: 021 442 6200.
57<br />
Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za<br />
What’s in a ball outer?<br />
With a variety of balls on the<br />
market for rugby, soccer and<br />
netball, your customers may<br />
select one based on what it<br />
looks like — the colours used<br />
or even the patterns on the ball. You will want<br />
to point out that they should also consider the<br />
many factors — such as materials, seals, linings,<br />
etc. — that affect how a ball performs<br />
during play.<br />
In flight, the air close to the surface of the<br />
ball is affected by any unevenness — like<br />
seams, pimples or panels — that cause an<br />
asymmetric flow of air around the ball, dr<br />
Rabi Mehta, an aerospace engineer at NASA<br />
Ames, demonstrated by testing balls in wind<br />
tunnels. The air around the ball is ‘broken’ by<br />
the seams of the ball, which causes the ball to<br />
swerve (or ‘knuckle’) and move unpredictably.<br />
• When a ball is kicked, the air around it<br />
forms a laminar (smooth) or turbulent (disrupted)<br />
boundary layer. During flight the<br />
pressure in the front half of the ball decreases,<br />
while the pressure in the back half<br />
will separate from the surface and equalise,<br />
resulting in a drag force that reduces the<br />
ball’s speed.<br />
• When a ball is kicked with little force (at<br />
low speed) the boundary layer will be laminar<br />
and air layers flowing around the ball<br />
will be smooth and parallel to one another.<br />
When a ball is kicked with great force (at<br />
high speed) the boundary layer will be turbulent<br />
creating chaotic air flow that withstands<br />
the adverse pressure for longer and<br />
causes the turbulent boundary layer to separate<br />
later than with the laminar layer. This<br />
later separation creates less drag on the ball<br />
and allows it to stay in flight longer.<br />
• Air flowing smoothly around a ball and separating<br />
early, leaves a large drag in its wake.<br />
When the air around the ball is turbulent<br />
(e.g. as a result of panels and stitching), air<br />
clings to the ball for longer, separating later<br />
and leaves less drag in its wake. ‘Tripping’<br />
the laminar boundary layer into action (using<br />
panels) makes ball flight more predictable<br />
and longer.<br />
• In soccer, when a ball (spherical in shape) is<br />
kicked with great force, the air around the<br />
ball is turbulent, causing little drag.<br />
o The ball spins toward the side that has the<br />
least opposing force (following its nose)<br />
— this is known as the Magnus effect —<br />
and as it continues on its flight path, its<br />
Our cut-out-and-keep series to<br />
assist retailers with product<br />
knowledge<br />
Words: Rhianah Fredericks. Compiled<br />
with the help of Du Toit Botes of Super-<br />
Brands, Nick Wiltshire of Pat Wiltshire<br />
Sports, Robyn Frick of Puma SA, and<br />
websites: www.soccerballworld.com,<br />
iweb.tms.org, buet.ac.bd, www.telegraph.co.uk,<br />
www.nasa.gov, illumin.<br />
usc.edu, www.nutsaboutsport.co.uk,<br />
en.wikipedia.org, www.tenfactsabout.<br />
co.uk and netball.com.au<br />
travelling speed will drop - causing the air<br />
around the ball to become laminar and its<br />
drag to increase.<br />
o As the ball slows down, it will move in the<br />
direction with the least opposing force —<br />
or look like it is curving.<br />
o Panels or seams on the ball’s side, may<br />
cause a curve to become even more pronounced.<br />
This is how many soccer players<br />
are able to curve a ball toward the end of<br />
its flight and ‘change’ its trajectory.<br />
The role of panels<br />
Panels make up the outer covering of the ball<br />
and the number of panels (sections) can have<br />
an impact on the flight of the ball, as the<br />
seams “disturb” air during flight. The design<br />
of the panels can also affect the predictability<br />
of the flight.<br />
• If a ball has fewer panels, which results in<br />
large smooth surfaces, it will be more unpredictable<br />
in flight and will not travel as far as<br />
a ball with many seams.<br />
o When a smooth ball is kicked, the air<br />
around the ball is ‘unbroken’ by the ball’s<br />
surface and therefore the ball will slow<br />
down quicker as a result of the pressure of<br />
the air around it.<br />
o When a rough surfaced ball (with many<br />
panels and seams) that is able to ‘break’<br />
the air around the ball is kicked, the ball<br />
will travel further because the pressure of<br />
the air around the ball has been ‘broken’<br />
and allows it to travel further.<br />
• A rougher surfaced ball becomes turbulent<br />
much faster than a smoother one and allows<br />
the ball to curve more.<br />
o Typical soccer balls have 32 panels that<br />
each have seams, ensuring a rougher surface<br />
than a smoother ball without seams.<br />
o The hexagon shape of panels on a soccer<br />
ball also causes turbulence to set in much<br />
faster, enabling the ball to travel further<br />
and maintain predictable flight.<br />
The number of panels<br />
• There are various panel designs used in soccer<br />
balls — 32, 18, 16 — panel constructions,<br />
etc. — but the most common design<br />
is 32-panels. This design, known as the Buckminster,<br />
features twenty hexagon (six-sided)<br />
and twelve pentagon (five-sided) pieces that<br />
cover the ball and give it a sphere shape<br />
once it is inflated. The shape of the ball allows<br />
it to roll and spin evenly and smoothly.<br />
This is also the most popular panel design for<br />
professional match balls.<br />
• Rugby balls are constructed with four-panel<br />
designs that give them an oval shape. They<br />
are oval shaped (rather than round like soccer<br />
balls), because it is easier to catch, hold<br />
and run with the ball than it would be to do<br />
with a rounder ball. The shape of the ball<br />
also does not allow it to roll as far as a soccer<br />
ball, which is ideal for throws and passes<br />
that occur in the game.<br />
• Netball balls, much like soccer balls, can<br />
have various panel constructions: 32, 18, etc.<br />
Pimples and performance<br />
Pimples (also known as dimples) can be described<br />
as little bumps or protrusions on the<br />
surface of a ball.<br />
• These add roughness to the surface and,<br />
like panels, they can affect the To p58<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p58 :: Sport<br />
Ball outers cont from p57<br />
flight as well as the distance the ball may<br />
travel.<br />
• The pimples create grooves that ‘break’<br />
the air around the ball that allows it to remain<br />
buoyant for longer and therefore travel<br />
further. A smooth surfaced ball will drop<br />
faster, because the ball will once again have<br />
‘unbroken’ air pressure forcing it to fall<br />
quicker than a ball that has a rough surface<br />
(see above).<br />
• Smaller pimples improve the distance a<br />
ball travels, retain less water in wet conditions,<br />
but offer less grip for the player. In<br />
dry conditions, however, small pimples will<br />
offer the grip needed by players.<br />
• In wet conditions larger pimples offer better<br />
grip as they would protrude above any film<br />
of water that develops and still offer the<br />
necessary grip.<br />
• Pimples ensure better grip of a ball, but<br />
may increase drag on the ball — the larger<br />
the size of pimples (in diameter), the more<br />
drag it will cause. Many rugby ball manufacturers<br />
place pimples of different sizes<br />
(sometimes grouped in various shapes) in<br />
strategic places so they do not disrupt the<br />
flight of the ball and still offer the grip<br />
needed by players.<br />
Materials<br />
There are a number of materials that can<br />
be used to make ball outers, but those most<br />
commonly used are synthetic leather, polyurethane<br />
(PU) and Poly Vinyl Carbonate (PVC).<br />
• PU offers a harder feel than synthetic leather,<br />
but is softer and more responsive than<br />
PVC. It usually requires a Thermoplastic<br />
Polyurethane (TPU) water resistant coating<br />
that prevents wear on the material. This<br />
material also scuffs and wears down faster<br />
than PVC.<br />
• PVC can be considered the most durable,<br />
because it does not scuff or wear as easily as<br />
the others. It is however harder and offers<br />
less control than the other materials. These<br />
material covers are also usually coated in<br />
TPU to improve water resistant capabilities<br />
and prevent wear on the ball.<br />
• Rubber balls do not absorb water, offer good<br />
grip and enable balls to bounce on hard surfaces.<br />
• Synthetic leather covers offer a soft feel, is<br />
responsive and give players increased control<br />
over the ball. This material is usually<br />
more expensive than the others, but does<br />
not offer the same strength or durability and<br />
may absorb water as time passes.<br />
Stitching and construction<br />
Balls can be constructed by gluing, handstitching,<br />
machine stitching or thermally<br />
moulded. The tighter and more securely a ball<br />
is stitched, the longer it will last.<br />
• Glue is usually used to bond lower-end or<br />
practice balls. The panels are glued to the<br />
ball’s lining and creates a harder feel than<br />
that caused by other methods of bonding.<br />
• Balls are usually stitched with difference<br />
strengths of polyester thread, which is durable<br />
and does not absorb water. 5-Ply polyester<br />
is the strongest and offers the best quality.<br />
Stitching can be reinforced with Kevlar<br />
to improve durability.<br />
• Hand sewn balls offer stronger and tighter<br />
seams that improve the durability of the<br />
ball, but cost more than machine stitched<br />
balls. Machine stitching is often used for<br />
lower end balls that are less durable.<br />
• Thermally bonded balls’ panels are fused together<br />
to create tight seams that offer higher<br />
resistance to water absorption and greater<br />
durability. These balls are more expensive<br />
than other types of balls and are normally<br />
used in professional matches.<br />
Valve placement<br />
Where the valve is placed in a ball can affect<br />
its balance and therefore its flight.<br />
• Valve placement in rugby balls has a direct<br />
effect on the balance, because the area<br />
where the valve is placed is heavier. If a ball<br />
is unbalanced, it can affect the predictability<br />
of the flight of the ball. Many manufacturers<br />
place valves in the seam of the ball so<br />
that it does not affect its balance.<br />
• The placement of the valve allows the ball<br />
to self-correct by 10-15% if it is off target,<br />
thus improving accuracy when scoring goals.<br />
This placement of the valve also allows the<br />
player to align the valve to the target and<br />
use the weight of it to keep the ball in line.<br />
• It is vital to use the lightest (possible) valve<br />
in a rugby ball bladder, as it will help maintain<br />
the balance of the ball. To ensure the<br />
most accurate balance is achieved, manufacturers<br />
should put a counter weight (the<br />
exact same weight as the valve) on the opposite<br />
side of the valve.<br />
Linings<br />
Linings are the layers placed between the<br />
bladder (that holds that air) and outer cover<br />
of the ball.<br />
• These are usually made of cotton or polyester<br />
materials that assist in maintaining<br />
the shape, bounce and strength of the ball.<br />
Cotton linings offer softness while polyester<br />
makes balls more durable and responsive.<br />
• Balls can have different numbers of layers,<br />
depending on the type of ball or purpose.<br />
Lower end or practice balls are usually<br />
constructed with two or more layers of polyester.<br />
These linings are durable, but harder<br />
and less responsive than cotton.<br />
• Higher quality, professional soccer balls are<br />
usually lined with four layers of lining, made<br />
of cotton and polyester, which helps the ball<br />
retain its shape and bounce throughout its<br />
lifespan.<br />
• Some balls may even have an added foam<br />
layer that offers more cushioning and<br />
control.<br />
Gilbert renew ball contracts with unions<br />
GILBERT, locally distributed by Leisure Holdings,<br />
has renewed supplier contracts with several<br />
rugby unions.<br />
They signed a new three year deal with the<br />
Golden Lions Rugby Union (GLRU), as well as<br />
the Toyota Free State Cheetahs and the Western<br />
Province Rugby Football Union (WPRFU).<br />
Internationally, Gilbert has also renewed<br />
their contract with SANZAR to be the exclusive<br />
Super Rugby ball supplier. The<br />
brand also has agreements<br />
with SA Rugby, Rugby<br />
World Cup 2015 and various<br />
other unions to be the<br />
official ball supplier.<br />
The new agreements<br />
mean that Gilbert will stay<br />
on as the official supplier of<br />
balls and technical equipment to<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
the different GLRU divisions, as well as the<br />
Free State Cheetahs.<br />
They will also be the exclusive ball and<br />
equipment supplier of the WP rugby union,<br />
the WP Rugby Institute and the WP School of<br />
Excellence.<br />
SANZAR has also extended their long-standing<br />
relationship with<br />
Gilbert. The company will remain the exclusive<br />
Super Rugby ball supplier.<br />
In recognition of<br />
the renewed partnership<br />
(that started<br />
in 1996), Gilbert<br />
has introduced a<br />
new range of Super<br />
Rugby match<br />
ball designs for<br />
the 2014 season.<br />
“We wanted to produce a design that better<br />
reflected the speed and excitement of Super<br />
Rugby while also highlighting the fierce rivalries<br />
within each conference. Although we have<br />
retained our traditional trademark ellipse, it<br />
now includes a series of stripes that accentuate<br />
the rotation of the ball in flight and the<br />
addition of lime green increases visibility for<br />
players,” says Jon Clarke, Gilbert Australia’s<br />
Brand Manager.<br />
They have also designed a<br />
ball that features a gold<br />
(Australia), silver (New<br />
Zealand) or green (South<br />
Africa) trim for local<br />
derby matches.<br />
From left the Lions,<br />
Cheetahs and WP balls<br />
(right).
p60 :: Sport<br />
Is it still cricket?<br />
In future, children will have to be taught<br />
a different meaning to the idiom That’s<br />
not cricket! Based on the recent developments<br />
at cricket’s ruling body, cricket<br />
can no longer be a synonoum for fair<br />
play and doing the right thing.<br />
For example, the new boss of world cricket,<br />
Narayanaswami Srinivasan, has been implicated<br />
in allegations of bribery, conflict of interest<br />
and passing information to bookies in<br />
two separate court cases in India (see Meet<br />
the new ICC boss). He already survived a court<br />
order to stand down as president of the Board<br />
of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and it is<br />
therefore highly unlikely that his current legal<br />
problems will prohibit him from becoming<br />
chairman of the International Cricket Council<br />
(ICC) in July this year.<br />
In contrast, Cricket SA (CSA) CEO Haroon Lorgat<br />
is suspended from taking part in ICC affairs<br />
pending the outcome of an investigation<br />
— preventing him from having any influence<br />
during the negotiations about ICC changes.<br />
His crime?<br />
He is accused of collaborating in an ESPN-<br />
Cricinfo article in which the former ICC head<br />
of legal affairs, David Becker, said it was "improper"<br />
to allow a board member to "blatantly<br />
disregard an ICC resolution" when the BCCI announced<br />
that they were deviating from the<br />
agreed ICC Future Tours Programme (FTP) by<br />
cutting short their tour of South Africa. Lorgat<br />
denies involvement with the article.<br />
Becker also gave journalists a statement,<br />
saying that he resigned from the ICC in 2012<br />
because of governance issues, in particular,<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
Our structures at school<br />
level are very strong, and<br />
that drives the game<br />
dominance by Srinivasan. "Perhaps the most<br />
concerning example is the recent attempt by<br />
Srinivasan to manipulate the FTP schedule for<br />
his own benefit," Becker said.<br />
Lorgat also ran foul of Srinivasan while he<br />
was head of the ICC. The report he commissioned<br />
from retired English judge Harry Woolf,<br />
recommending greater independence for the<br />
board to prevent dominance by one country,<br />
was shelved. Just like Lorgat.<br />
ICC proposals<br />
It is therefore not surprising that the demise of<br />
the FTP is one of the proposals the BCCI, with<br />
support from Australia and England, pushed<br />
through in February this year (see Proposals<br />
accepted by ICC p64).<br />
It is also no coincidence that these radical<br />
changes to world cricket were tabled at the<br />
Finance and Commercial Affairs committee of<br />
the ICC.<br />
Because, as Michael Goldman, professor of<br />
sport management at the University of San<br />
Francisco, explained to the The World at Six<br />
radio programme: this is all about the money,<br />
or more precisely, negotiating and securing<br />
future lucrative sponsorship deals for test<br />
cricket, which lags far behind the millions<br />
generated through the IPL and the ODI Champions<br />
Trophy. Apart from the big three (India,<br />
England and Australia) other test playing nations<br />
do not make money from this form of<br />
cricket. The shortened Indian tour, for example,<br />
reportedly cost CSA R200-m.<br />
Despite protests from across the world, the<br />
proposals to change the face of test cricket<br />
were adopted by eight of the ten full members<br />
of the ICC — including South Africa, whose<br />
Chris Nenzani accepted it is a flawed, but liveable<br />
situation, after initial opposition.<br />
Even though the Proteas are the ICC #1<br />
ranked test cricket team, our AB de Villiers<br />
tops the current test and ODI batsman rankings<br />
and Vernon Philander and Dale Steyn are<br />
the world’s top test bowlers, South Africa was<br />
relegated to the reserve benches during these<br />
negotiations.<br />
The BCCI knew that their threats to withdraw<br />
from future ICC events (ODI and T20 World<br />
Cups) if their proposals were not approved,<br />
gave them the upper hand. With more than<br />
a billion TV viewers, the money generated by<br />
cricket in India is vital for the future existence<br />
of the ICC. According to news reports, they<br />
contribute 80% to ICC funds.<br />
No impact on cricket in SA<br />
But, even before CSA capitulated and entered<br />
into a plea bargain agreement with the big<br />
three, people involved in local cricket doubted<br />
that the proposed changes at international<br />
level would affect the game in South Africa.<br />
As long as our cricket heroes go on performing<br />
and the facilities exist for kids to play<br />
cricket, the game would remain popular, they<br />
agree. Everybody we spoke to say that the
Sport :: p61<br />
Meet the new ICC boss<br />
The scheming in international cricket may<br />
leave a bad taste, but it should not have an<br />
impact on the local popularity of the game<br />
... as long as we keep on producing local<br />
heroes and go on maintaining facilities to<br />
grow the game at grassroots. Some local<br />
experts talked to Trudi du Toit about the<br />
state of the South African cricket market.<br />
Photos: Johann du Toit<br />
winning performances by the Proteas against<br />
Pakistan and India helped to keep the cricket-loving<br />
public interested and glued to their<br />
TV screens, justifying the R1.5-bn India’s Taj<br />
TV allegedly paid for the long-term broadcast<br />
rights for five cricket boards — South Africa,<br />
West Indies, Zimbabwe, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.<br />
The injection of TV funds is, however, a<br />
two-edged sword, as TV keeps spectators at<br />
home, especially with the high cost of tickets.<br />
Thus reducing CSA revenue. It might be an<br />
idea to look at the Australian example where<br />
they don’t allow TV broadcasts until a certain<br />
percentage of the tickets for a game had<br />
been sold, former Proteas player and Dolphins<br />
coach Pat Symcox told Cape Talk radio.<br />
While the man in the street will be irritated<br />
by the shenanigans on the world stage, the average<br />
cricket fan is oblivious to the political<br />
in-fighting — as long as our cricket heroes are<br />
playing, they’ll attend matches, says Wayne<br />
Schonegevel of OBO SA, supplier of Aero cricket.<br />
“People love to see heroes in action, heroes<br />
help to keep the game alive. People will<br />
always want to see AB de Villiers play.”<br />
South Africa is one of the top ranked sides<br />
and fans worldwide want to see the best playing<br />
the best, agrees Derrin Bassage of Puma<br />
SA. “Youngsters will continue to dream of one<br />
day becoming like one of their heroes.”<br />
Selling bats<br />
AB de Villiers’ heroic performance certainly<br />
sells bats, says Nicola Ludlow of JRT Crampton,<br />
local distributor of Kookaburra.<br />
Grattan Rippon, supplier of New Balance<br />
cricket equipment, recounts how a father<br />
called him because he wanted “everything David<br />
Miller plays with” for his son.<br />
And after an emotional century-scoring departure<br />
from test cricket, Slazenger’s Jacques<br />
Kallis has been practicing hard to show the<br />
world he’s #1 in the shorter version of the<br />
game, inspiring a new group of young fans.<br />
It still remains to be seen how well Faf du<br />
Plessis’ name will sell the new iXu brand.<br />
There are many indications that cricket is as<br />
popular as ever.<br />
The number of youngsters coming into the<br />
game through Baker’s Cricket is increasing,<br />
which is a promising sign, says Ludlow.<br />
“Our structures at school level are very<br />
strong, and that drives the game,” adds Schonegevel.<br />
“We have wonderful coaches at<br />
schools.” Good facilities is another factor that<br />
encourages youngsters to take up the game,<br />
and in South Africa we have them, he believes.<br />
The nets at any cricket ground are full of<br />
young players being coached in the nets —<br />
many of them getting individual coaching,<br />
says Rippon. There are numerous cricket<br />
academies across South Africa, all attracting<br />
youngsters who want to improve their game.<br />
There are lots of possibilities for talented<br />
cricketers these days, he continues. If you are<br />
good enough to be contracted by CSA you can<br />
earn a good salary. The top guys earn millions<br />
playing in the IPL. “Over the next five years<br />
cricket is going to grow globally,” he predicts.<br />
“There is a lot to play for.”<br />
Bassage is, however, not convinced that<br />
there is much scope for growing the local<br />
player market. “The cricket market in South<br />
Africa has become a mature market with no<br />
substantial growth in player numbers. There<br />
are many factors involved and cricket needs to<br />
keep up with the times to attract newcomers<br />
to the sport,” says Bassage.<br />
Challenge of economy<br />
One of the main challenges faced by cricket<br />
retailers, is the economic downturn and weak<br />
exchange rate.<br />
While some suppliers say they experienced<br />
positive growth during the past year, others<br />
say that the economy had a negative impact<br />
on sales — and even when their products sold<br />
well, retailers battled to pay To p64<br />
February 2014 was a busy month for<br />
Narayanaswami Srinivasan, president of the<br />
board of Control for Cricket in India (bCCI),<br />
MD of India Cements, owner of IPL franchise<br />
Chenai Super Kings, president of the Tamil<br />
Nadu Cricket association ... and from 8 February,<br />
the future chairman of the International<br />
Cricket Council (ICC).<br />
On February 12 Srinivasan appeared before<br />
a Central bureau of Investigation court in<br />
Hyderabad in the bribery trial of Jaganmohan<br />
reddy, accused of selling favours on behalf<br />
of his politician father. India Cements is accused<br />
of investing in his businesses in return<br />
for government benefits.<br />
On February 10 a 170-page report submitted<br />
to the Supreme Court by former Chief<br />
Justice Mukul Mudgal indicted Srinivasan’s<br />
son-in-law and Chenai Kings CeO, Gurunath<br />
Meiyappan, of illegal betting and passing on<br />
information to bookies during the 2013 IPL.<br />
according to the report Srinivasan's India Cements<br />
is liable for Meiyappan's actions and<br />
the Chennai Super Kings could lose their franchise<br />
for being in violation of the franchise<br />
agreement.<br />
One of the people who gave evidence to the<br />
judge was the lawyer of former IPL chief Lalit<br />
Modi, banned for life from all bCCI activities<br />
following charges of financial irregularities<br />
in the IPL and rigging of the auctions of two<br />
new teams. He claimed that Srinivasan ensured<br />
that specific umpires were appointed<br />
when the Chennai Super Kings were playing<br />
and that he rigged the IPL bidding for andrew<br />
Flintoff in 2009.<br />
This report is independent of the Mumbai<br />
police investigation following the arrest of<br />
Meiyappan in May last year, on the same<br />
charges.<br />
Following Meiyappan’s arrest last year Srinivasan<br />
was pressurised into stepping down as<br />
bCCI president in June. The Indian Supreme<br />
Court ruled in September that he should be<br />
barred from being bCCI president until further<br />
orders, but this ruling was set aside in<br />
October 2013 when the bCCI unanimously<br />
re-elected Srinivasan president.<br />
Few people therefore believe that he will<br />
heed calls for him to step down as bCCI boss<br />
following the publication of the latest report.<br />
He has, after all, weathered many other<br />
storms: for example, a 5-year court battle<br />
with former bCCI boss aC Muthiah after Srinivasan<br />
amended the bCCI constitution to allow<br />
him to buy the Chenai Super Kings while<br />
he was the bCCI treasurer in 2008. The conflict<br />
of interest charges continued when his<br />
son-in-law became Chennai Super Kings CeO<br />
and team captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni became<br />
a vice-president of India Cements. Kris<br />
Srikkanth, bCCI chief selector, became the<br />
team’s ambassador.<br />
but, as Cricket Sa (CSa) chairman Chris<br />
Nenzani says: he must be assumed innocent<br />
until proven guilty. and so, Srinivasan will<br />
control world cricket from July this year.<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
Greater all-round power<br />
Substantial F4.5 edges<br />
Iconic design<br />
High swell position<br />
Super concave profile<br />
Flatter face profile<br />
Surprisingly light pick-up<br />
Ideal for all-round stroke play<br />
Substantial F4.5 contoured edges<br />
Elongated swell height<br />
Powerarc bow<br />
Concaved back profile<br />
Reduced toe and shoulders<br />
Made in England from prime English Willow<br />
Specially shaped resilient shield fitted to the toe<br />
of the bat reduces toe damage and feathering.
Wipe-clean PU facing for comfort and durability;<br />
Lean back top hat feature and superb wrap<br />
around the thigh; Traditional knee roll gives<br />
superb wrap around and comfort; One-piece<br />
interior bolster prevents movement; Triple<br />
vertical and knee internal bolsters give<br />
great protection and flexibility; Strong<br />
internal knee locator and internal<br />
knee bolster shape help<br />
to position the knee for<br />
maximum protection;<br />
Extended wing, knee<br />
and top hat gives<br />
additional ankle, calf and<br />
thigh protection; Real leather<br />
instep for supreme comfort and durability<br />
The multifunction shoe features three levels of<br />
support and control: • Internal moulded TPR<br />
heel cradle protects the heel area and<br />
locates the foot securely, maintaining<br />
the shoe’s heel shape; • Injection<br />
moulded TPU external midfoot<br />
shank maintains rigidity through the<br />
foot arch, reducing injury from foot<br />
torsion, whilst also reducing foot<br />
fatigue; • Injection moulded TPU<br />
outsole for lateral support and<br />
durability, with strategically located<br />
spikes and flex zones on the forefoot<br />
to allow the foot to roll naturally;<br />
Horizontal and vertical access allows<br />
better use of space in small rooms<br />
Bat Cave bottom section holds two full<br />
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The top section can be used for<br />
equipment or wet gear<br />
153L capacity; 96x38x42cm<br />
Integrated Wheelie System<br />
Stand Alone System<br />
Zipped Side Pockets<br />
Moulded Rubber Handle<br />
Pittard leather palm for superb feel, grip,<br />
comfort and durability; Horizontal bolsters give<br />
greater flexibility of the 3rd and 4th fingers;<br />
Breathable fingers for added comfort; Foam<br />
underlay to the back of the hand for added all<br />
day comfort<br />
Moulded casing protection to the 1st two<br />
bottom hand fingers; Strong inserts in<br />
each finger section; Breathable fingers<br />
and foam underlay to the back of the hand<br />
for added comfort; One-piece side bar<br />
protection to top hand<br />
Supple sheepskin luxury leather for all day comfort;<br />
GM cotton palm filling for superb feel and flexibility;<br />
High grip durable Neoprene palm facing; Embossed<br />
finger tabs for abrasion resistance and durability;<br />
Strong square caned cuffs for greater protection to<br />
wrist area
p64 :: Sport<br />
Transitional proposals until 2016 accepted by the ICC committee<br />
• Future Tours Programme: approved as a<br />
legally binding regulation by the ICC in 2004,<br />
future tours between the ten ICC member countries<br />
were allocated on a rotating basis over<br />
an eight-year period. This allowed each board<br />
to plan their international programmes and<br />
make deals with commercial partners. This<br />
has now been replaced by bilateral agreements<br />
between nations to cover test series between<br />
2015 and 2023. The fear is that lower ranked<br />
countries like Bangladesh or Zimbabwe could<br />
be sidelined as the big three will no longer be<br />
compelled to play against them ... in the more<br />
than 20 years that Zimbabwe had been playing<br />
tests, Australia played only three tests against<br />
them.<br />
• Two-tier format for test cricket: the bottom<br />
two teams in the ICC rankings (at this stage<br />
Bangladesh and Zimbabwe) will be relegated<br />
from next year and will have to fight for promotion<br />
back to the top division in a four-day Intercontinental<br />
Cup and then a playoff. If a relegated<br />
country doesn't win back its place in the top tier<br />
on the first attempt, it would lose money from the<br />
ICC. Associate members Afghanistan, Canada,<br />
Ireland, Kenya, the Netherlands and Scotland,<br />
who currently only have ODI and T20 status, will<br />
be able play tests through promotion.<br />
• The Executive Committee and Financial and<br />
Commercial Affairs Committee, consisting of the<br />
big three as permanent members, plus two other<br />
rotating members, one of them nominated by the<br />
small seven, will make decisions. The committees<br />
will only be chaired by one of the big three<br />
until 2016.<br />
• Leadership: a proposal reads that there is “the<br />
need for strong leadership of the ICC, involving<br />
leading members, which will involve BCCI taking<br />
a central leadership responsibility”.<br />
• Income distribution: the contributions of full<br />
members to ICC events, like the World Cup, will be<br />
recognised through contribution costs. India, who<br />
apparently contributes 80% of the ICC funding,<br />
will now get by far the most. ICC income will be<br />
distributed as follows: 65% shared on an equal<br />
basis by all full members and an extra 35%<br />
shared on a sliding scale between the big three.<br />
This replaces the old system whereby the ten<br />
full members receive an equal share of funds<br />
from ICC events and associate members (e.g.<br />
Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya and Bermuda) also<br />
got a percentage.<br />
• Test Cricket Fund: The other seven full members<br />
(except the big three) will be paid equally<br />
on an annual basis from a test fund. CSA will<br />
now receive $10-m per year after we were originally<br />
left off the beneficiary list.<br />
• ICC Events: there will be three major ICC events<br />
in each four-year cycle, with the Champions<br />
Trophy remaining for 2017 and 2021, and the<br />
proposed World Test Championship, involving<br />
the top four test teams, falling away.<br />
Cricket market cont from p61<br />
accounts.<br />
Interestingly, entry level products were more<br />
affected by the economic downturn than the<br />
higher end goods. “Our mid-level and upper<br />
ranges did very well,” says a local distributor<br />
of a quality cricket brand.<br />
January is usually a good month for cricket<br />
sales, especially higher end bats, says Nigel<br />
Prout of Opal Sports, local distributors of Gunn<br />
& Moore. “The new senior teams are picked in<br />
the beginning of the year and players at school<br />
are often rewarded with a new bat for being<br />
elected to the first team.”<br />
Bassage, however, believes “there seems<br />
to be a shift where customers are either purchasing<br />
entry level or top-end. The current<br />
market conditions are challenging and quality<br />
cricket equipment is a fair investment.”<br />
The fact that more and more customers are<br />
bringing in bats to be repaired, shows that<br />
money is tight, says Brett Burnill of Leisure<br />
Holdings, local distributor of Gray-Nicolls.<br />
“People are not replacing bats so easily.”<br />
With the weakening Rand, top end products<br />
will be placed under more pressure as consumers<br />
will no longer be able to afford them,<br />
he says.<br />
They therefore focus on specialised cricket<br />
retailers with exceptional product knowlege<br />
for top end products, says Bassage. “There<br />
are not many big players in the cricket retail<br />
space in South Africa. This puts pressure on<br />
increasing shelf space and store presence to<br />
grow market share.”<br />
The customers who buy from a cricket specialist<br />
store, like Sports Horizons, still buy top<br />
end products, confirms Dale Hermanson. But,<br />
due to the exchange rate, many of them will<br />
buy one model down from what they might<br />
have bought in the past.<br />
With the exchange rate hiking the price of<br />
top bats from R5 500 to R7 500 and increasing<br />
the price of a good, mid-level bat to R4<br />
500, cricket becomes an expensive sport.<br />
Outfitting a player with good quality cricket<br />
gear — including softs and a bag — could cost<br />
R8 000-R9 000.<br />
When the economy is bad, the trusted, wellknown<br />
brands offering better products do better,<br />
says Schonegevel, “because people trust<br />
the quality and know the brand.”<br />
New brands<br />
Another challenge in the cricket market is the<br />
proliferation of new brands — some that don’t<br />
survive for long. There are currently more<br />
than 25 cricket brands available in South Africa,<br />
some new names not heard before.<br />
If retailers make the mistake of stocking<br />
products from brands that don’t sell, they<br />
don’t have the funds to pay their other suppliers,<br />
is a complaint from a supplier wishing to<br />
remain anonymous.<br />
To p66<br />
Worldwide condemnation of ICC proposals<br />
• Paul Marsh, head of the Federation of International Cricketers’ Associations, representing associations<br />
of seven ICC members, said the proposals will broaden disparities between cricket’s “rich and poor.”<br />
• Former ICC president Ehsan Mani wrote a letter of protest to the ICC which was undersigned by<br />
Malcolm Speed and Malcolm Gray, former senior administrators with the ICC and CA, Clive Lloyd,<br />
former West Indies captain and former ICC cricket committee chairman, Shaharyar Khan and Lt Gen.<br />
Tauqir Zia, former Pakistan Cricket Board presidents.<br />
• South Africa’s Ali Bacher wrote to the ICC: “ ... it would lead to division and strife in world cricket as<br />
never seen before. ICC member countries should never forget the animosity that existed particularly<br />
in the Sub-continent and the Caribbean when England and Australia had veto rights prior to 1993.”<br />
• Malcolm Speed, a former ICC chief executive, wrote:. “I cannot see any reason whatsoever why India<br />
should receive extra funding from ICC events at the expense of struggling countries such as Scotland,<br />
Ireland, Uganda, Kenya and the other 100 Associate and Affiliate members where every dollar counts.”<br />
• Former England captain Michael Atherton was scathing in his condemnation of the proposals.<br />
• Transparency International issued a statement saying the “intention to entrench a privileged position<br />
for the big three appears to be an abuse of entrusted power for private gain.”<br />
• The New Zealand Players' Association has described the draft proposal as scheming.<br />
• Imran Khan called the proposals "colonial" and Lord Harry Woolf, author of a report into the ICC's<br />
governance, says they were "entirely motivated by money".<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
p66 :: Sport<br />
Dukes balls now available in South Africa<br />
THE DUKES ball, which many South African cricketers encounter<br />
when they play County cricket in England, is now available in<br />
South Africa from Opal Sports. It is also the ball that the Proteas<br />
play with in test matches in England and the West-Indies.<br />
What’s more, a special ball that will be ideal for the harsh<br />
playing conditions in many parts of South Africa, is currently<br />
being developed and tested … and the South African ball will be<br />
made right here, as a joint venture production with Dukes.<br />
Having perfected the art of cricket ball making for more than 250<br />
years in Kent, England, Dukes have the skills to adapt the traditional process<br />
to create new products for specific playing conditions and to meet the<br />
demands of the modern game.<br />
Therefore, while they know that the original hand-stitched cricket ball is<br />
still the ideal, they also “invested a lot of time and resources to develop a superior<br />
range of machine-stitched balls for countries with very harsh<br />
playing conditions, like Australia and South Africa,” say Dukes.<br />
They have already produced balls with long lasting covers that<br />
will withstand the hard slogging of ODI cricket and developed an<br />
exclusive process to ensure very good shape retention in balls -<br />
whilst keeping the right “feel” on the bat.<br />
Founded in Kent, in 1760, Dukes have joint venture production<br />
facilities in Australia and Pakistan, in order to meet their objective of<br />
producing the right product, in the right place, at the right price.<br />
Dukes’ Special County "A" cricket ball is used exclusively for test matches<br />
in the UK, as well as all first class county cricket matches, while the Dukes<br />
County International "A" is used in most ECB accredited Premier League<br />
matches. Dukes, however, have a big range of cricket balls for all levels and<br />
type of play – including junior and training balls.<br />
Cricket market cont from p64<br />
Even if these brands are sold from car boots<br />
and don’t occupy retail shelf space, every sale<br />
is one that affects the rest of the market and<br />
retailers’ profits.<br />
Another supplier questions whether all these<br />
new brands are accredited by the ICC, which<br />
they have to be if the equipment is used in<br />
matches. It can take a long time to get this<br />
accreditation, he says, because the ICC is very<br />
strict that all equipment must comply with all<br />
their regulations. The brand also has to be affiliated<br />
to the ICC to ensure that it is a proper<br />
cricket manufacturer, not just a cool drink<br />
brand using the bat for marketing purposes.<br />
The traditional cricket brands further face a<br />
challenge from the big international athletic<br />
brands who have a lot of money to buy top class<br />
players to lend credibility to the brand. For example,<br />
the signing of players like David Miller<br />
and Justin Kemp, as well as the sponsorship of<br />
four of the six franchises, got New Balance retail<br />
space because it established that the brand<br />
was a serious player in the cricket market.<br />
Signing a top international player could, however,<br />
cost £80 000–90 000 (roughly R1.5-m),<br />
which is beyond the scope of local brands.<br />
Local policies<br />
Ironically, local cricket politics present some<br />
of the challenges to the growth of the South<br />
African market. CSA has some strong development<br />
programmes in place ... but, these programmes<br />
can only continue to produce new<br />
local heroes as long as the money is available,<br />
say an administrator who wishes to remain<br />
with<br />
It would make a vast difference<br />
if we can get 130<br />
000 black children playing<br />
cricket<br />
New cricket clothing range<br />
BRT Teamwear, Kevro Sports’ off-field sporting solutions brand<br />
is getting ready to launch a new competitively-priced cricket<br />
clothing range at the end of April. This range will consist of<br />
shirts, trousers, and pull-overs; all developed in conjunction<br />
specific technical features. These features include moisture<br />
management (a special technology which makes the microfiber<br />
soft and helps drain moisture from the body) and mesh<br />
inserts (inserts that help improve airflow assisting with the<br />
control of body temperature). This exciting new in-stock sporting<br />
solution will be available to all resellers at the beginning<br />
of May 2014.<br />
anonymous.<br />
Currently, 23% of CSA’s funding goes into<br />
development. Most of the funding, however,<br />
comes from sponsorship, and there is no attraction<br />
for sponsors in grassroots development,<br />
where there is no glitz and glamour or<br />
TV coverage, CSA told the Parliamentary Committee<br />
on Sport.<br />
This point was sadly demonstrated by the<br />
collapse of cricket development in the Border<br />
and Griqua regions: after the six big franchises<br />
were formed about seven years ago, these areas<br />
were left out in the cold. With no more big<br />
matches to draw spectators, no more sponsorship<br />
fees, money to maintain facilities and<br />
keep development programmes going, dried<br />
up. These regions used to be the cradle of<br />
black cricket development, but now the development<br />
programmes have petered out.<br />
This could have been the spectre awaiting<br />
South African cricket had the ICC proposal<br />
gone through without us in its original format:<br />
with no test matches or funding from the ICC<br />
to finance cricket development, the game<br />
might have started losing its appeal in a decade<br />
or two. Which, could still be achieved by<br />
CSA policies, another commentator fears.<br />
The quota rule that at least two black players<br />
(not coloured or Indian) must be selected<br />
for franchise teams, and three per team in<br />
amateur matches, could have a long-term<br />
affect, he says. This means that 17% of each<br />
franchise team must be ethnic black ... but<br />
there are only two franchises who have more<br />
than 17% black players in their squads: the<br />
Highveld Lions with 30% and the Warriors in<br />
the Eastern Cape with 20% black players.<br />
This means that the other four other franchises<br />
have to select the available black players,<br />
whether they are injured and irrespective<br />
if there is another better player to fill the<br />
spot. In future, any of the 120 positions that<br />
become available at franchises will have to be<br />
offered to black players, in order to meet the<br />
player quotas.<br />
He is therefore concerned that this could<br />
discourage future cricket heroes from considering<br />
domestic cricket as a career option<br />
— and encourage them to go overseas for opportunities.<br />
The South African cricket market is small —<br />
outside school structures there are only about<br />
150 000 registered cricketers playing for 900<br />
clubs, he continues. If we can get cricket established<br />
in the black communities, the size<br />
of the market could double. It would make a<br />
vast difference if we can get 130 000 black<br />
children playing cricket ... but we need funding<br />
for that.<br />
The Sunfoil trust currently provide school<br />
bursaries for black children to attend good<br />
sport schools, but at present the structures<br />
don’t exist to support black players outside<br />
the school system.<br />
Creating a cricket culture takes time. Top<br />
coloured and Indian players like Hashim Amla,<br />
Vernon Philander, Alviro Peterson, etc. are the<br />
products of communities with long-standing,<br />
strong, cricket traditions.<br />
He is also concerned that too many new,<br />
unknown players, in a team might affect attendances<br />
at matches. Fans like to watch<br />
well-known players in winning teams — as<br />
demonstrated by the full grounds when national<br />
team players join their domestic teams.<br />
But, tomorrow is another day, to paraphrase<br />
Scarlett O’Hara. Today, there is still lots to be<br />
optimistic about.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
p68 :: Sport<br />
Aero protection<br />
Aero’s Stripper is regarded as the<br />
world's most advanced cricket<br />
thigh and lower body protection<br />
system, providing protection to<br />
the front and back thigh and (in<br />
the P1 model) buttocks, says<br />
Wayne Schonegevel of local distributor<br />
OBO SA. The new model<br />
features improved 3D moulding so<br />
that it always stays in place, an<br />
intergrated design and improved<br />
strapping system. Two waistband<br />
fitting options allow natural movement<br />
and mobility. It is easy to use<br />
and washable.<br />
The SwitcheR model is a new<br />
addition for the coming season.<br />
“ This ambidextrous design will<br />
give you adult sized lower body<br />
protection at junior prices,” says<br />
Schonegevel. It incorporates the<br />
features of the existing Stripper<br />
models, but also has an unique<br />
ambidextrous design.<br />
The new model Aero P3 junior<br />
legguard with 3D moulded comfort,<br />
is ideal for primary school<br />
players. Speed rated to 110kph,<br />
they are 65% lighter than old style<br />
youth pads.<br />
Their Fielding Hand Protectors<br />
allows longer training times and<br />
ABC of new cricket<br />
catching at faster ball speeds<br />
due to the strategically placed<br />
gel pads. Silicone and amara<br />
leather palms provide added<br />
protection and comfort, with the<br />
lycra rear providing a snug fit.<br />
The Groin Protector Shorts with<br />
compression properties, are designed<br />
to integrate with the strippers<br />
with extra long leg lengths<br />
to cover the lower quadricep<br />
muscles for added comfort and<br />
performance. A contoured pouch<br />
will snug fit all box types, but the<br />
Aero Groin Cup is recommended<br />
for best fit and protection.<br />
BAS new range<br />
In South Africa BAS cricket — short<br />
for Beat All Sports — is known as<br />
the choice of batting supremo<br />
Hashim Amla, which he recently<br />
reconfirmed by signing with the<br />
brand for another term. He is now<br />
joined by Alviro Petersen and the<br />
Morkel brothers, Albie and Morne.<br />
These players, including internationals<br />
like Virat Kohli play with<br />
the international<br />
quality<br />
Bow 20/20 A-grade English<br />
Willow bats and protective range,<br />
available in South Africa from<br />
Sedgars Sport.<br />
Despite their massive edges<br />
and big spines that appeal to<br />
big-hitters, the BAS bats have a<br />
light pick-up. The 9-piece cane<br />
short handle provides good shock<br />
absorption for a jerk-free performance.<br />
The 2014 range features attractive<br />
cosmetic changes across<br />
all levels of bats — from top end<br />
hand crafted English willow to<br />
Kashmir willow entry level bats<br />
— protective gear (international,<br />
pro to club level) and accessories.<br />
They also offer a wide variety of<br />
kit bags (above), catering to the<br />
specific needs of ODI or test players,<br />
from international to club<br />
players.<br />
Gunn & Moore quality<br />
After 125 years of designing top<br />
level cricket equipment, Gunn &<br />
Moore (GM) still introduce new<br />
technologies to improve their<br />
cricket ranges. Their 2014 bat<br />
range, for example, have a specially<br />
shaped resilient shield fitted<br />
to the toe to reduce damage<br />
and feathering. All GM English<br />
Willow bats are made in their own<br />
factory in Nottingham, England.<br />
In the 2014 range, the Icon F4.5<br />
DXM has a surprisingly light pick<br />
up, despite its substantial edges,<br />
which offers greater all-round<br />
power. The face has a 4.5mm<br />
bow to it, and the back has a high<br />
swell and super concave profile.<br />
The Six F4.5 DXM, on the other<br />
hand (right), is ideal for all-round<br />
stroke players. It features the<br />
substantial F4.5 contoured edges,<br />
but has a reduced toe and shoulders.<br />
It has an elongated swell<br />
height, Powerarc bow and a concaved<br />
back profile.<br />
Their Octane multi-functional<br />
shoe has been made 10% lighter,<br />
yet offers good support and control.<br />
An internal moulded TPR<br />
heel cradle protects the heel and<br />
securely holds the foot, while an<br />
injection moulded TPU external<br />
midfoot shank maintains rigidity<br />
through the foot arch. The injection<br />
moulded TPU outsole offers<br />
lateral support and durability,<br />
with strategically located spikes<br />
and flex zones on the forefoot to<br />
allow the foot to roll naturally.<br />
Air mesh on the upper and tongue<br />
provides excellent temperature<br />
control and ventilation.<br />
The new ultra-light Original batting<br />
pads wrap around the thigh,<br />
knee and shin to offer international<br />
standard protection. The<br />
extended wing, knee and top hat<br />
give extra ankle, calf and thigh<br />
protection. Triple vertical and<br />
knee internal bolsters offer great<br />
protection and flexibility. Further<br />
protection is offered by an interior<br />
bolster, an internal knee locator<br />
and internal knee bolster shape.<br />
The PU facing can be wiped clean,<br />
while the abrasion-resistant real<br />
leather instep is durable.<br />
GM also introduced new batting<br />
gloves for 2014 with breathable<br />
fingers and a foam underlay on<br />
the back of the hand to improve<br />
comfort. The super soft pittards<br />
leather Original Limited Edition<br />
offers international quality protection,<br />
with horizontal bolsters<br />
giving greater flexibility. The Original<br />
batting gloves offer international<br />
protection, with a moulded<br />
casing protecting the first two<br />
bottom hand fingers.<br />
The supple sheepskin leather<br />
GM Original Limited Edition wicket<br />
keeper gloves are classified for<br />
international use, with a cotton<br />
palm filling providing good feel<br />
and flexibility. Other features<br />
are a high grip durable neoprene<br />
palm facing, durable abrasion<br />
resistance, while strong caned<br />
cuffs offer greater protection<br />
to the wrist area.<br />
The Original duplex<br />
wheelie bag can be accessed<br />
from above as<br />
well as the sides. Two<br />
full sized cricket bats<br />
can be fitted in the<br />
bottom, while small<br />
compartments in the<br />
top section offer<br />
more compact space<br />
for equipment and<br />
wet gear.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
anges<br />
Kookaburra<br />
The 2014 Kookaburra range features<br />
new decals and cosmetic changes,<br />
while the performance technologies<br />
their bats have become known for,<br />
have been retained. For example, the<br />
Powerdrive 12-piece cane handle that<br />
offers strength and flexibility, while<br />
providing control and power. The<br />
Xtreme grip uses an unique angular<br />
construction for the top hand and a<br />
flexible grip on the bottom.<br />
The popular Kahuna (above) will<br />
again be seen in the hands of AB<br />
de Villiers, who makes full use of the bigger<br />
sweet spot, developed to increase the effective<br />
hitting area. In addition, the Power Plus<br />
technology that allows the unique flat face of<br />
the Kahuna to provide more contact with the<br />
ball, contributes to his hitting power. A chunkier<br />
toe offers even better response. From entry<br />
level (600) to the top end, the big Kahuna<br />
offers good value.<br />
The Ricochet and Menace are new additions<br />
to the Kookaburra Rage. Ricochet boasts a<br />
carefully balanced profile and is a light weight<br />
bat, with maximum spine and edges. It is perfect<br />
for the enterprising shot maker!<br />
The Menace Bat is for the player that<br />
wants to dominate the shorter formats of<br />
the game. Built with an imposing power<br />
profile, the Menace is designed for those<br />
players who like to clear the ropes but prefer<br />
slightly less weight.<br />
The long-awaited Bubble 11 is back with<br />
a new profile, featuring maximum toe and<br />
edges, a good pick-up and balance. This<br />
powerful bat will appeal to the all round<br />
stroke maker.<br />
Local distributor JRT Crampton also offer<br />
the Xenon in their 2014 range.<br />
Puma’s new designs<br />
Puma’s cricket ranges will be aligned with<br />
the rest of their team sport business and the<br />
EvoSpeed and EvoPower ranges will have distinct<br />
new designs.<br />
“The design story for the 2014 range is to be<br />
minimal, adaptive, structured and light,” says<br />
Derrin Bassage of Puma SA. “In both categories<br />
products are available from beginner to<br />
the professional player.”<br />
In footwear they will launch the new<br />
Evospeed and Platinum convertible spike.<br />
“The EvoSpeed has been a great success with<br />
top international players,” he says.<br />
Slazenger technology<br />
“The new Slazenger 2014 cricket collection<br />
captures 18 months of research, development<br />
and product innovation to, yet again, launch a<br />
range which pushes the boundaries of market<br />
Sport :: p69<br />
leading product with<br />
the creation of genuine<br />
game changing equipment,”<br />
says Roscoe de<br />
Vries of local distributor,<br />
Dunslaz.<br />
By developing the<br />
XRlite range, Slazenger<br />
has lifted the standard<br />
of cricket equipment to<br />
a new level, he adds.<br />
They worked in conjunction<br />
with PORON<br />
XRD, who created an extreme impact protection<br />
technology to create a lightweight, thin<br />
and breathable material that’s engineered for<br />
repeated impact and shock absorption. This is<br />
used across all sporting codes in equipment<br />
providing protection. Slazenger incorporated<br />
this technology in the XRLite range, creating<br />
an ultraslim 12mm thick glove and a new ergonomic<br />
two strap pad (see above).<br />
“This year we see the evolution and cosmetic<br />
update of the Slazenger V Series bats with<br />
the progression of our two leading bat technologies,”<br />
says De Vries.<br />
TAS — Torsioned And Sprung — inserts increase<br />
off-centre shot ability in the V100<br />
range. HEX handles improve stability, control<br />
and comfort while reducing shock on ball impact.<br />
A taper toe improves stance.<br />
“This year, history has combined with technology<br />
with the launch of the stunning New V6<br />
Five star range.”<br />
HERITAGE, QUALITY, EVOLUTION<br />
Special County<br />
‘A’ Grade 1, 5 ½oz Red, White, Orange or Pink<br />
Best of the best.<br />
English made hand stitched four-piece leather cricket ball.<br />
As used in all 2012 Test Series & County Cricket in the UK.<br />
County International<br />
‘A’ 5 ½oz & 5oz (womens) Red, White, Orange or Pink<br />
Premium quality English alum tanned leather<br />
Cortex centre for shape retention • Hand sewn<br />
Traditional greased finish • Suitable for top league cricket<br />
Turf Master<br />
‘A’ 5 ½oz Red & 5oz (womens) White, Orange or Pink<br />
Premium quality leather • Cortex centre for shape retention<br />
Hand sewn • ‘Perma’ anti-scuff finish<br />
Suitable for top league cricket<br />
Our biggest seller to leagues below premier level<br />
Special Crown<br />
‘A’ 5 ½oz and 5oz (womens) Red, White, Orange or Pink<br />
Good quality leather<br />
Cortex centre for shape retention<br />
Hand sewn • Perma anti-scuff finish<br />
Avenger<br />
‘A’ 5 ½oz Red<br />
Good quality leather<br />
Moulded cork centre<br />
Hand sewn • Traditional greased finish<br />
Opal Sportswear (Pty) LTD<br />
Tel: 011 695 9640<br />
Fax: 011 695 9698<br />
Email: anne@opalsport.com<br />
65 Superior Road, Midrand<br />
Century<br />
‘A’ 5 ½oz Red<br />
Club quality alum leather • Moulded cork centre<br />
Hand sewn • Perma anti-scuff finish<br />
Unbeatable budget priced ball
p70 :: Outdoor<br />
Reeling in on SA’s<br />
fishing problems<br />
Suppliers and retailers serving the recreational fishing market is facing many<br />
challenges ... can SACRAA offer the solution that is needed to safeguard this<br />
sport and industry sector?<br />
Ahighly qualified and peer-respected<br />
scientist from Gleneagles<br />
Environmental Consultants<br />
acted as consultant to the SA<br />
Consolidated Recreational Angling<br />
Association (SACRAA) for a three month<br />
period ending February, reported SAFTAD<br />
chairman John Pledger.<br />
Gleneagles guided SACRAA about the best<br />
way to interact with government and environmental<br />
agencies about various issues, including<br />
NEMBA (National Environmental Management<br />
Biodiversity Act) legislation, said Pledger. They<br />
are doing a review in March to determine if<br />
they’ll continue with the consultation.<br />
A former academic with impeccable marine<br />
science and environmental credentials, the<br />
scientist has “the knowledge and clout to<br />
talk to government and environmental scientists<br />
on an equal footing.” He is also a keen<br />
fisherman.<br />
While SAFTAD (the SA Fishing Tackle Agents<br />
and Distributors) only represents the fishing<br />
tackle trade, SACRAA represents everybody<br />
with an interest in recreational fishing, explains<br />
Pledger. This includes anglers, clubs, retailers,<br />
venues and anybody else who benefit<br />
in any way from recreational angling.<br />
SACRAA is also planning<br />
to commission a job creation<br />
survey, which will<br />
show the value that recreational<br />
fishing adds to the<br />
economy<br />
“We want to get it across to the people in<br />
government that when they think recreational<br />
fishing, they must think SACRAA,” he says.<br />
Among others, they also took into consideration<br />
the example of international angling<br />
organisations — like the European association<br />
EFTTA — in the way they interact with governments<br />
and play a role in formulating angling<br />
policies. EFTTA, for example, has a permanent<br />
lobbyist at the European Parliament in Brussels,<br />
who regularly makes representations on<br />
behalf of European recreational angling.<br />
SACRAA is also planning to commission a job<br />
creation survey by a reputable academic institution,<br />
which will show the value that recreational<br />
fishing adds to the economy. A similar<br />
study in the US showed that the 50-m anglers<br />
generated 880 000 jobs, which means that our<br />
2.5-m anglers could create about 40 000 jobs.<br />
But, the outcome of the survey must be beyond<br />
question and stand up to peer reviews<br />
and government scrutiny, says Pledger.<br />
NEMBA, the biodiversity act, has been gazetted,<br />
but not promulgated, and recreational<br />
fishing is represented on the various fish species<br />
forums debating the legislation by Bernard<br />
Venter, the SA Sport Anglers and Casting<br />
Confederation (SASACC) freshwater conservation<br />
officer.<br />
“We have been assured that it is really not<br />
aimed at harming recreational angling, but<br />
we are still negotiating certain issues,” says<br />
Pledger. “The aim is to stop the spreading of<br />
foreign species.”<br />
Recreational anglers will be able to get permits<br />
to fish for the species listed (including bass<br />
and trout), but they will have to be killed when<br />
caught — one can no longer catch and release.<br />
Pledger urges all retailers selling recreational<br />
fishing gear (clothing, tackle, boats, etc.)<br />
and anglers to join SACRAA in order to create<br />
a strong lobby group that would compel government<br />
to negotiate with when introducing<br />
recreational fishing policies. The organisation<br />
is still administered and funded by SAFTAD.<br />
Lobster campaigns<br />
RECREATIONAL FISHING Services (RFS) is a<br />
lobby organisation campaigning on behalf<br />
of retailers, equipment suppliers, and other<br />
businesses involved with the West Coast lobster<br />
industry. They have been petitioning the<br />
Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries<br />
(DAFF) on an annual basis to increase the bag<br />
limits for recreational fishermen to catch rock<br />
lobsters, as well as to increase the limited recreational<br />
west coast Rock Lobster season.<br />
Their latest endeavour is to try and obtain<br />
a copy of a study that allegedly supports the<br />
cause of the recreational fisherman regarding<br />
a lengthened recreational west coast Rock<br />
Lobster season.<br />
“This document has been requested from<br />
Fisheries (DAFF) through normal channels,”<br />
says Cary Steele-Boe, RFS chairperson. “It has<br />
since been refused for public view by fisheries.<br />
An appeal has been sent. I hold no hope<br />
for the appeal.”<br />
The company that did the study is Mthente<br />
consulting, owned by Mills Soko, says Steele-<br />
Boe.<br />
“This year is going to be vitally important for<br />
recreational fishing,” he says.<br />
RFS has sent a letter to all major tackle retailers,<br />
wholesalers and manufacturers, requesting<br />
support to open a dedicated office in<br />
the Western Cape.<br />
“There is possible legislation coming which<br />
will vastly hinder your ability to fish, and in<br />
turn, will destroy the recreational fishing and<br />
diving industry.”<br />
New Shimano and Rapala<br />
sponsorship<br />
SHIMANO AND Rapala will be the<br />
sponsors of the new World Predator<br />
Championship that will be held for the<br />
first time 20-22 June in Rotterdam.<br />
This international lure-fishing tournament<br />
was launched at the EFTTEX show<br />
last year.<br />
The Shimano and Rapala sponsorship<br />
will be valid for the next three years.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March
Outdoor :: p71<br />
Unify to tackle fishing challenges<br />
In an open letter to SAFTAD a fishing tackle supplier urges the industry members to unite behind SACRAA<br />
Andrew Wentzel Jnr of W.E.T. Sports has<br />
written the following letter (abbreviated<br />
here) to the SA Fishing Tackle Agents and<br />
Distributors (SAFTAD) association, who<br />
administers and funds SACRAA, the organisation<br />
formed to unite everybody with<br />
an interest in the recreational fishing<br />
PerhaPs with all the bad press the Minister of<br />
Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (DAFF) Tina<br />
Joemat-Pettersson and her department are<br />
currently receiving, now would be a good time<br />
to move forward with SACRAA and establish the<br />
numbers necessary to make a difference in the<br />
bigger scheme of things.<br />
If the Department can reduce crayfish limits,<br />
introduce bag limits, take away quotas from<br />
line fishermen and pursue NEMBA with no consultation<br />
with market players, what more are<br />
they capable of?<br />
It’s time for the members of SAFTAD to move<br />
forward by giving the recreational fisherman<br />
a voice to prevent DAFF from becoming a law<br />
unto themselves — it’s time to give SACRAA<br />
life. Now is the time to maximise the potential<br />
membership and try to sign up every recreational<br />
fisherman in South Africa as a member<br />
of SACRAA, regardless of whether they catch<br />
crayfish, carp or couta.<br />
If SACRAA has any chance of succeeding and<br />
having a say, it will have to be through the<br />
sheer weight of its numbers.<br />
Tackle shops can canvass for members and<br />
help to reach every recreational fisherman.<br />
Special committees can be set up and coordinators<br />
appointed for each major region<br />
and/or fishing discipline to not only spread the<br />
work load, but also increase the reach.<br />
Social media is another cheap and effective<br />
means of getting the SACRAA message across<br />
to many people.<br />
Members’ data could be stored on an electronic<br />
device, similar to a bank card, which<br />
is swiped to activate services or specials. We<br />
could have a membership card through which<br />
we would eventually gain access to a database<br />
of contact details, fishing preferences, average<br />
spend and market-related information<br />
of all members. Brands could even offer discounts<br />
to incentivised members to buy their<br />
products. The possibilities are endless.<br />
If set up properly, not only will the committee<br />
be self-sufficient, but conservatively, it<br />
will give voice to 1-m members. Imagine petitioning<br />
government with the support of 1-m<br />
voices … reaching 1-m members to communicate<br />
on conservation, legislation or any other<br />
matter pertaining to fishing the salt or fresh<br />
waters of South Africa.<br />
Let’s not waste this opportunity and act before<br />
we are left with no choice — and the e-tolling of<br />
the fishing industry.<br />
It’s time for SAFTAD and all its members<br />
to stand together and make SACRAA a viable<br />
reality. It’s time for SAFTAD and all its members<br />
to set aside our different areas of focus/<br />
expertise and establish a voice that will look<br />
after the needs of the recreational fisherman<br />
in South Africa, who are the lifeblood of all<br />
our businesses.<br />
We need to understand that many of our best<br />
retail customers are directly involved. They<br />
supply crayfish nets, measures, wetsuits, fins,<br />
masks, snorkels, boots, bags, etc. to recreational<br />
crayfish fishermen.<br />
It (the reduced bag limits and shortened<br />
crayfish harvesting time) directly affects their<br />
ability to do business and consequently affects<br />
their ability to make profits. If all the<br />
tackle shops lose a share of their profits every<br />
year, because the Minister does not consult or<br />
refuses to consider recreational fishermen, it<br />
directly impacts on our ability [as suppliers] to<br />
trade with them.<br />
It impacts on their ability to purchase other<br />
tackle, and ultimately can affect them keeping<br />
their doors open or not.<br />
Heaven forbid the Department changes legislation<br />
for catching bass, shad, kob or yellow<br />
tail… SACRAA can help not only in the sustainability<br />
of fishing resources, but also in the sustainability<br />
of the fishing tackle industry.”<br />
After all, something as simple as shortening<br />
the crayfish season, has a wide impact. Less<br />
time allowed, means those people who might<br />
have travelled to the coast for the specific<br />
purpose of diving for crayfish might now go<br />
somewhere else on holiday, or not go away at<br />
all. This potentially impacts on fishing tackle,<br />
outdoor and sport stores who might have benefitted<br />
from the diver’s visit.<br />
These stores in turn do business with a wide<br />
variety of suppliers. The splash in the ocean<br />
has rippling effects.<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p72 :: Outdoor<br />
Outdoor news<br />
European outdoor industry resilient<br />
THE LATEST State of Trade report, an annual<br />
market study conducted by the European<br />
Outdoor Group (EOG) across 22 European<br />
countries, reports that their outdoor<br />
industry continues to be resilient, despite<br />
economic challenges. Based on this report,<br />
the EOG made the conservative estimate<br />
that the European outdoor industry generated<br />
over €10-bn at retail in 2012.<br />
Over 70 companies representing more than<br />
100 brands currently participate in the study<br />
Product catergory market share – Value % 2012<br />
and participation is not restricted to EOG<br />
members.<br />
The report calculates that the total sellin<br />
market growth value is 1% growth from<br />
2011-2012 and growth in the seven product<br />
categories (accessories, apparel,<br />
backpacks, climbing, footwear sleeping<br />
bags, tents) ranged from +3% to -4%.<br />
Apparel contributed over half (53%) of<br />
the market share value in 2012 and<br />
footwear just over a quarter (26%).<br />
Lowrance number one fish finder<br />
New rope dry treatment standard<br />
THE UIAA<br />
(International Mountaineering and<br />
Climbing Federation) has for the first time established<br />
a standard for dry treatment of ropes.<br />
It is the benchmark manufacturers can<br />
use to rate their ropes’ water repellency.<br />
Beal, locally distributed by<br />
Ram Mountaineering, is the first<br />
manufacturer to produce a rope<br />
that matches this standard with<br />
their Golden Dry ropes that<br />
only absorbs 2% water.<br />
Data provided by the The State of Trade Survey 2012, European Outdoor Group.<br />
Stephen Thomas (US director of Lowrance), Stefan Klaassen (Germany sales<br />
manager for Navico Africa and Middle East), Simon Claxton (UK sales director<br />
for Navico EMEA), Mikala Plotz (SA national sales manager of Lowrance South<br />
Africa), Leif Ottosson (Sweden president and CEO of Navico), Lisbeth Plotz (SA<br />
managing director of Lowrance South Africa) and Marcel Crince (Netherlands<br />
COO and CFO of Navico EMEA).<br />
LOWRANCE HAS been recognised as the world’s largest electronics<br />
manufacturer in the leisure market, and is the #1 electronics fishing<br />
brand, delegates at the annual Navico EMEA Conference in Dubrovnik,<br />
Croatia, were told.<br />
Lowrance parent company Navico showed 15% growth for 2013 and<br />
now holds a 33% market share, which makes them the largest marine<br />
electronics company worldwide, reports Lisbeth Plotz (MD of Lowrance<br />
SA) who attended the sales conference with Gauteng dealer liaison and<br />
sales manager Mikala Plotz.<br />
Approximately 100 global distributors attended the three-day information<br />
workshop sessions on the latest electronic products, mapping,<br />
logistics and other topics.<br />
At a training workshop at the Navico Logistics Centre in Holland, Lowrance<br />
South Africa’s John Minnie and 15 other technicians from various<br />
countries in the EMEA received updates on the latest Lowrance products.<br />
Navico’s Technical Sales Engineer, Odin Sletten and HDS product<br />
expert, Matthew Thompson, covered various topics such as multifunctional<br />
networking, sonars, VHF radios, autopilot, radar, sounders and<br />
AIS, among others.<br />
New from Lowrance<br />
Lowrance has launched its new SpotlightScan Sonar trolling motor<br />
transducer. The device gives the user a new level of surround-scanning<br />
underwater views and provides picture-like images of key fishing areas<br />
on HDS Gen2 or HDS Gen2 Touch fish-finder or chart-plotter displays.<br />
Its DownScan Imaging (455/800 kHz) technology offers easy to understand<br />
images of fish and structure, while the Broadband Sounder (83/200<br />
kHz) technology allows the user to mark fish arches and track lure action.<br />
This device helps anglers save time by pinpointing the most productive<br />
fishing spots by covering a maximum surround-scanning range of<br />
150 feet. It has twin scanning beams to allow quick refresh rates and<br />
is easily installed by attaching it to a bow-mounted, cable steer, footcontrol<br />
trolling motor.
73<br />
Visit Sports Trader’s website for more product knowledge: www.sportstrader.co.za<br />
What’s inside sleeping systems<br />
For many people the comfort of their<br />
beds at home is one of their most<br />
treasured things. When going on an<br />
outdoor trip it is no different: comfortable<br />
sleeping is ideal.<br />
The level of quality required for the sleeping<br />
items will depend on the environment your<br />
customers will be using them in. Those who<br />
camp in their caravans, chalets or any other<br />
building might not need the warmest of sleeping<br />
bags. Hikers will want the lightest option<br />
they can afford. While those embarking on an<br />
expedition in extreme temperatures will want<br />
the best insulation they can find. Canoeist will<br />
look at water-resistant options, etc.<br />
How do you advise a customer which sleeping<br />
item is ideal?<br />
Choose insulation<br />
The conditions in which the bag will be used,<br />
as well as the length of time it will be used,<br />
are the deciding factors about the type of filling<br />
a customer will choose. You need to understand<br />
how the sleeping bag will sustain the<br />
duration of the trip before recommending one.<br />
The most important function of a sleeping<br />
bag is to keep a sleeper warm — or insulated<br />
from the cold, by trapping the heat of the<br />
warm air produced by the body. The filling of<br />
a bag provides the insulation by keeping the<br />
air warm.<br />
The loft — the thickness and fluffiness of the<br />
bag’s inner layers — determines how warm<br />
the sleeping bag will be. While thicker insulation<br />
will be warmer, it will also weigh more<br />
per square meter. The warmth and the weight<br />
will also be determined by the type of filling<br />
chosen — fine feathers, or down, offer more<br />
warmth at a lighter weight than synthetic materials.<br />
Ratings for sleeping bags<br />
Sleeping bags are rated according to the level<br />
of insulation they provide, and the ratings refer<br />
to the lowest temperatures in which they<br />
can be used.<br />
The sleeping bag rating can be expressed<br />
in terms of the season it will be suitable for,<br />
or the temperature in which it will be used.<br />
These ratings can differ from person to person<br />
as not everybody reacts the same to temperature<br />
levels. It also depends on the conditions<br />
in which the bag will be used. Your customer<br />
can, for example, feel cold and uncomfortable<br />
in a bag as a result of the loss of insulation<br />
from wind chill.<br />
Temperature ratings are based on a number<br />
of factors like gender, age, weight, etc.<br />
Our cut-out-and-keep series to<br />
assist retailers with product<br />
knowledge<br />
Words: YAMKELA MKEBE. Compiled with<br />
the help of Simon Larsen of Ram Mountaineering,<br />
Joanne Esterhuizen of Hi-Tec<br />
SA and www.outdoorgearlab.com, www.<br />
rei.com, www.seatosummit.com, www.<br />
ehow.com and www.thenorthfacejournal.com/the-development-of-our-responsible-down-standard.<br />
Photo: OutDoor Friedrichshafen<br />
• Comfort level offers a grown woman a comfortable<br />
night’s sleep.<br />
• Lower limit is the lowest temperature at<br />
which an adult man is guaranteed a comfortable<br />
night’s sleep in cold or hot conditions.<br />
• Upper limit is the opposite of the lower limit<br />
and would indicate the highest temperature<br />
in which an adult male will enjoy a<br />
comfortable night’s sleep without sweating.<br />
• Extreme temperature indicate that the bags<br />
can be used in the coldest conditions without<br />
the user freezing in extreme conditions.<br />
Seasonal ratings indicate the level of insulation<br />
offered that would make the bag suitable<br />
for use in specific weather conditions.<br />
• One season bags are suitable for warm<br />
weather (summer), preferably indoors.<br />
• Two season bags are good for use in slightly<br />
cooler weather (late spring or early autumn).<br />
• Three season bags keep campers warm<br />
in cool and warm weather like spring, summer<br />
and autumn — and also our relatively<br />
mild winters. These synthetic bags are suitable<br />
for people who are more inclined to<br />
feel the cold than users of 1-2 season bags.<br />
• Four season bags are good for extreme winter<br />
cold and will keep a consumer warm in<br />
extreme cold conditions.<br />
• Five season bags are the most expensive and<br />
are the ideal choice for a customer embarking<br />
on an expedition in extreme conditions.<br />
Synthetic and down are the two basic types<br />
of insulation commonly used in sleeping bags.<br />
Synthetics fillings<br />
There are various types of synthetic fibres<br />
— some are continuous and long, others are<br />
short. There are also various types of synthetic<br />
fillings that are proprietary to a specific brand.<br />
• Hollow fibre polyester is the most basic<br />
synthetic fibre. These polyester fibres have<br />
different structures, which result in differing<br />
performances.<br />
A single hole in the middle of the fibre to<br />
trap warm air offers relatively low heat retention.<br />
The 4 hole hollow fibre provide a<br />
greater surface to trap warm air. It therefore<br />
provides more insulation for less bulk<br />
and weight than the one hole.<br />
Quallofil 7 is a hollow fibre with seven<br />
holes to ensure a lighter bag, with more<br />
body heat trapped. It has a soft feel, but<br />
is still fairly bulky. This type of filling is<br />
suitable for winter use and in extreme wet<br />
conditions.<br />
• Polarguard is a better quality synthetic<br />
filling and is made of a number of continuous<br />
fibres that offer good insulation. There are<br />
different types of Polarguard available. The<br />
original Polarguard is a bit bulky, but offers<br />
better insulation than hollow fibre.<br />
Polarguard 3D offers as much insulation<br />
as the original Polarguard, but is lighter<br />
and less bulkier.<br />
Polarguard Delta in turn, is an improvement<br />
on 3D, improving the insulation abilities,<br />
while also reducing the bulk considerably.<br />
Top quality synthetic sleeping bags<br />
often have this filling.<br />
Other top end synthetics:<br />
• Microloft is made of fine, dense, layers of<br />
ultra thin siliconised polyester fibres that<br />
trap the heat between them. This offers<br />
good insulation, while keeping the weight<br />
and bulk down. It is very water-resistant.<br />
• Primaloft is a hi-tech, soft, lightweight and<br />
very fine microfibre blend that is also fastdrying<br />
and water-resistant. It has a very<br />
good weight-to-warmth ratio and compresses<br />
well — but it is expensive.<br />
• Litelof is another top end short fibre polyester<br />
blend, but it is bulkier, and therefore<br />
more affordable, than Primaloft.<br />
Pros of synthetics<br />
Besides being more affordable<br />
To p74<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
p74 :: Outdoor<br />
Sleeping system<br />
inners cont from p73<br />
than down, there are several other benefits to<br />
choosing a synthetic bag.<br />
• One of the main benefits of a synthetic<br />
filling is the ability to maintain body warmth<br />
even in wet conditions. This does not mean<br />
that synthetic insulation doesn’t get affected<br />
by wetness, but synthetic fillings handle<br />
wet conditions better than down, maintain<br />
ing its loft, or thickness, when wet, thus<br />
trapping up to 65% more air and warmth<br />
than down when wet. Synthetic sleeping<br />
bags also dry quicker than down, making<br />
them more resistant to mildew and rot.<br />
• Synthetic bags require less care when cleaning<br />
and storing. They can be hand- or machine<br />
washed without losing quality.<br />
• Customers with allergies will benefit from<br />
a synthetic fill, which is less likely to contain<br />
allergens than down.<br />
Cons of synthetic<br />
• Synthetic fibres are much heavier than<br />
down per square meter. For synthetic to provide<br />
the same warmth as down, more will<br />
have to be used, which will make the bag<br />
heavier and bulkier.<br />
• Synthetic fibres lose quality faster than down.<br />
Customers therefore will need to replace<br />
their synthetic bags quicker than when using<br />
down fill.<br />
• When synthetic is compressed into a stuff<br />
bag, the insulation can lose quality, which<br />
results in reduced performance.<br />
Down fillings<br />
Down is the natural plumage that forms the<br />
undercoating of waterfowl and consists of the<br />
fine feathers from the breast area of a goose<br />
or duck.<br />
Not all sleeping bag filling will consist only<br />
of down. For example, when the label states<br />
that the filling is 90% goose down, it will consist<br />
of 90% down and 10% feathers. The higher<br />
percentage of down compared to feathers will<br />
result in a lower weight and bulk with better<br />
insulation.<br />
A product with a higher down grade will be<br />
more expensive.<br />
There are different qualities of down.<br />
Types of down filling<br />
• Duck down is considered to be less fine than<br />
goose down and it is also less expensive.<br />
Insulation works by the feathers trapping a<br />
layer of air, which is then heated by your<br />
body heat.<br />
• Goose down is very fine and provides approximately<br />
25% more insulation than the<br />
equivalent weight of duck down.<br />
• Hi-Loft down traps more air than any other<br />
type of filling. It is made of very fine goose<br />
down to provide more insulation. Where<br />
bulk and weight are vitally important, this<br />
type of filling will be used — for example, in<br />
top quality expedition bags.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
Pros of down<br />
• Geese or duck down provide the most comfortable<br />
and lightest fillings for sleeping<br />
bags. Down is considered to be the warmest<br />
filling per weight ratio.<br />
• Down offers more durable, higher quality<br />
insulation than synthetic fillings. With proper<br />
care a down sleeping bag will last longer<br />
than one with a synthetic filling.<br />
• In cold conditions, down provides more<br />
warmth, and it is cooler in warm conditions.<br />
This ensures that a down bag will respond<br />
well to all weather conditions, meeting a<br />
customer’s personal requirements.<br />
• Down insulation doesn’t lose its insulation<br />
benefits when compressed. The fine<br />
feathers are light enough to respond positively<br />
when compressed.<br />
Cons of down<br />
• Down bags are much more expensive than<br />
synthetic sleeping bags.<br />
• One of the main negatives of a down filling<br />
is the poor performance in wet conditions,<br />
as down is not water resistant.<br />
• Down takes longer than synthetic fibres to<br />
dry in wet conditions — sometimes more<br />
than a day. It loses warmth when it is wet<br />
and in continuous rain you might have to<br />
sleep under very cold and uncomfortable<br />
conditions. When stored while damp, the<br />
down can mould or rot.<br />
• Compared to synthetic fillings, down bags<br />
require more care in cleaning and storing.<br />
The type of chemicals and washing tools<br />
used may have an impact on the bag.<br />
Down standards<br />
There had been some concerns in the industry<br />
about the ethical harvesting of down feathers<br />
and implications it may have for animal<br />
abuse — for example, when down obtained<br />
from ducks or geese used for making foie gras<br />
are used. This product, made from the liver of<br />
birds that had been force fed until their livers<br />
burst, is banned in several countries.<br />
The North Face (TNF) is compiling a Responsible<br />
Down Standard (RDS) in collaboration<br />
with several animal rights agencies to ensure<br />
that all the down used in their products had<br />
been sourced responsibly and without any<br />
harm to the birds. Following on site audits<br />
of the full supply chain, down that meet the<br />
standards, will receive certification<br />
TNF has now announced that they will hand<br />
over ownership of their RDS to the Textile Exchange<br />
so that it could be adopted across the<br />
industry. The Textile Exchange will have the<br />
right to distribute and even update the RDS.<br />
Sleeping bag liners<br />
One way to prolong the life of an expensive<br />
sleeping bag or provide more insulation and<br />
warmth to a cheaper bag, is to add a liner.<br />
There are several benefits to buying a liner<br />
with a sleeping bag.<br />
• A liner can be used to keep a sleeping bag<br />
clean — the liner can be washed with ease,<br />
thereby prolonging the quality of the insulation<br />
materials in the sleeping bag.<br />
• A liner adds a layer of insulation and a good<br />
liner can make your existing sleeping bag<br />
about 15º warmer.<br />
• In warm weather a liner can be used instead<br />
of a sleeping bag — providing a cost-effective,<br />
ultra-light sleeping option.<br />
• Liners add little bulk and does not take up<br />
much space in a pack.<br />
• Some high-end liners have been treated with<br />
anti-bacterial, anti-microbial and insect repelling<br />
chemicals that keep the bag cleaner,<br />
odourless and repel insects.<br />
Cotton liners are the most basic and affordable,<br />
but they are heavier than silk.<br />
Fleece liners provide extra warmth, but take<br />
up more space than other liners.<br />
Silk liners are the lightest and most compact,<br />
but provide less warmth and are also more<br />
expensive. Silk has the added benefit that it<br />
wicks away sweat and moisture, preventing<br />
the sleeping bag from becoming damp.<br />
Synthetic liners are made from various materials,<br />
including rip stop, that help keep the<br />
liner drier, warmer and more durable.<br />
Liners are available in mummy or rectangular<br />
shapes to fit the cut of the sleeping bag.<br />
The better the fit of the liner inside the bag,<br />
the better the insulation. Loose material from<br />
a liner can also be uncomfortable.<br />
Sleeping mats<br />
Cold air seeping from below and hard rocks<br />
pressing in your back can drastically reduce<br />
the comfort of the best insulated sleeping<br />
bag. A sleeping mat provides an insulation<br />
layer between the bag and the ground and<br />
padding to cover rocks.<br />
The thermal resistance provided by a mat is<br />
indicated using an R-Value, which is the ratio<br />
that the temperature differs between the top<br />
(where you need heat) and bottom of the mat<br />
(on the cold ground).<br />
• Closed cell foam create a firm, yet lightweight,<br />
sleeping mat. Air pockets in the<br />
foam provide some insulation and cushioning,<br />
but it is fairly bulky. Self-inflating<br />
open-cell foam cavities glued to the top and<br />
bottom that fill with air, are nowadays commonly<br />
available since the patent expired.<br />
• Inflated sleeping mats are comfortable,<br />
lighter and less bulky to pack than foam<br />
pads. Manually inflated sleeping mats require<br />
a pump, or someone with good lungs,<br />
to inflate.<br />
Standard air core mats have a cavity,<br />
like an air mattress, that has to be<br />
filled with air, which reduces insulation.<br />
They take up little space when deflated.<br />
Insulated air core mats have insulation<br />
material attached to the bottom to offer<br />
better thermal protection than the standard<br />
air core. This can be synthetic material<br />
(more affordable), or the cavities can<br />
be filled with down, which is more expensive<br />
and heavier.<br />
Structural insulation, e.g. internal baffles,<br />
offers the best insulation in an air core<br />
mat. This advanced technology ensures<br />
high performance, but low weight.
Outdoor :: p75<br />
Range<br />
information<br />
Black Diamond reaps in the awards<br />
BLACK DIAMOND Inc. walked away with over a<br />
dozen industry and media awards<br />
from the recent Outdoor<br />
Retailer Winter Market,<br />
Ispo Munich and Snowsports<br />
Industry America<br />
(SIA) trade shows. Ram<br />
Mountaineering distributes<br />
their Black Diamond<br />
brand locally.<br />
Their JetForce<br />
technology — the<br />
first avalanche airbag<br />
system to use<br />
electronically controlled jet-fan inflation and<br />
that will be available in certain backpacks<br />
such as the one pictured — won the Gear of<br />
the Show at Outdoor Retailer Winter Market<br />
from Outside magazine, Men’s Journal, Gear-<br />
Junkie.com and GearInstitute.com; an Ispo<br />
Gold Award in advanced avalanche gear at Ispo<br />
Munich and the Hot Gear award from Skiing<br />
Magazine during the SIA show.<br />
Black Diamond left Ispo Munich with an Ispo<br />
Gold Award for Cohaesive Embedded<br />
Components, which are found in<br />
their 2014 apparel line.<br />
JR Gear has something for<br />
everyone<br />
JR GEAR, locally distributed by Ram Mountaineering,<br />
supply a wide range of sleeping mats.<br />
Their Classic mat range is aimed at the<br />
budget conscious, but the solid foam construction<br />
offers good support and insulation. It is<br />
fully covered in Diamond 75D Ripstop.<br />
The Lite Mat is their most popular item in<br />
the range, with a good balance of weight,<br />
size, comfort and insulation.<br />
Their mummy-shaped mats<br />
come in a Standard (183cm<br />
long and 3.8cm thick) that<br />
fits the shape of the body<br />
and sleeping bag, whilst saving<br />
weight. The comfortable<br />
pad offers a good insulation<br />
R-Value of 2.5.<br />
The ergonomically shaped<br />
Short Mummy mat (122cm<br />
long and 2cm thick) also<br />
saves weight and has a 1.8<br />
R-value.<br />
They also offer a Traverse<br />
Core series with inflatable<br />
horizontal tubes. “The advantage<br />
of these Lilo type<br />
mattresses is massive space<br />
JR Gear Lite Mat<br />
Hot and cold sleeping from Hi-Tec<br />
HI-TEC’S MUMMY-SHAPED range of sleeping<br />
bags is available in different temperature<br />
ratings.<br />
The Spawn will provide a comfortable night’s<br />
sleep if the air temperature does not drop below<br />
-11ºC. The Sibut will provide warmth if<br />
the air temperature does not drop below 7ºC,<br />
says Joanne Esterhuizen of Hi-Tec SA. “This<br />
will be the same for the Sybil,” she adds.<br />
The Spawn will therefore be good for use in<br />
harsh, colder conditions during a winter trip.<br />
“The Sibut is ideal for every day outdoor activities,”<br />
she adds — preferably in summer.<br />
The Sybil is definitely a sleeping bag for summer<br />
weather.<br />
All three of these sleeping bags have 100%<br />
polycotton linings, which works well to trap<br />
heat and keep you warm. They have polyester<br />
hollow fibre fillings.<br />
“The junior Sybil is ideal for little campers<br />
to enjoy camping activities for school or on a<br />
family outing,” says Esterhuizen. “It is lighter<br />
in weight and has smaller dimensions to ensure<br />
kiddies are as snug as a bug!”<br />
Hi-Tec Spawn<br />
and weight<br />
savings, says Simon Larsen. “This range is<br />
ideal for those wanting more comfort (8.9cm<br />
thick), and are willing to take a breather for a<br />
great night’s sleep.”<br />
The Traverse Core Standard Mummy has<br />
an R-Value of 3 and weighs only 490g. “This<br />
model is ideal for weight and space conscious<br />
customers, and takes significantly less packed<br />
space than the Short Mummy,” he says.<br />
The Insulated Traverse Core Standard Mummy<br />
has two different grades of Primaloft as<br />
a filling to provide extra warmth — resulting<br />
in a R-Value of 5.0. It is, however, weighted<br />
towards the middle of the unit. “It would be<br />
excellent for winter camping and cold hikes,<br />
where one wants the space saving of an inflatable,<br />
but the warmth of a self-inflating,” says<br />
Larsen. It weighs only 570g.<br />
They also offer a dry pump that has a valve<br />
that attaches to the Core Series Mattresses for<br />
easy inflation. The dry bag then doubles up as<br />
a back pack liner.<br />
The Megamat XL regular is ideal for the car<br />
camping customer, wanting the convenience<br />
of a self-inflating, comfortable mat, says Larsen.<br />
It weighs 1.77kg and is 6.3cm thick.<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader<br />
TRAVEL LITE-SLEEP WELL<br />
At 794g the Lite Series<br />
Mat’s ergonomic shape fi ts<br />
both your body and your<br />
sleeping bag while saving<br />
weight. The unit is compact<br />
without sacrifi cing comfort<br />
and offers good insulation.<br />
Size: 183x51cm<br />
Thickness: 3.8cm<br />
R-Value: 3.8<br />
Weight: 794g<br />
The Insulated Traverse Core<br />
is a class leading infl atable<br />
mattress. This unit features<br />
Primaloft ® eco Synthetic<br />
patching that provides<br />
extra warmth while<br />
still remaining light<br />
and compact.<br />
Size: 183x51cm<br />
Thickness: 8.9cm<br />
R-Value: 5.0<br />
Weight: 570g<br />
The Mega Mat is<br />
built for a comfortable<br />
night sleep. Horizontal<br />
channelling foam<br />
provides incredible<br />
cushioning and support.<br />
Perfect for car camping<br />
Size: 198x63cm<br />
Thickness: 6.3cm<br />
R-Value: 6.0<br />
Weight: 1768g<br />
Distributed by RAM Mountaineering<br />
Tel: 021 532 0549 • info@rammountain.co.za<br />
www.rammountain.co.za
p76 :: Industry<br />
Company results<br />
SA results show trading is tough<br />
THE FINANCIAL results for the first half of the 2013/14 financial year<br />
reported by the listed sport and outdoor retail chains reflect what most<br />
people in the industry have been saying: it’s been a tough year.<br />
While all the stores reported sales growth — TFG Sport (The Foschini<br />
Group) and Mr Price Sport as high as 16% — the growth has been much<br />
lower than the previous few years.<br />
• Holdport group retail sales grew 4.9% to R600-m in the first six<br />
months of the financial year. The like-for-like growth across their 54<br />
stores was 2.5% with a trading density (R’000s/m 2 ) of 18.4.<br />
The performance of the individual chains in the group was as follows:<br />
• Sportsmans Warehouse: sales grew 5.9% to R458.1-m. Like-for-like<br />
growth 3.4%. Number of stores 35. Trading density 18.1.<br />
• Outdoor Warehouse: sales grew 1.8% to R141.9-m. Like-for-like growth — 1.4%. Number of stores 19. Trading density 19.4.<br />
• The Performance Brands wholesale division (the First Ascent and Capestorm brands) grew sales 6.1% to R30.9-m.<br />
• Mr Price Sport grew sales 15.7% to R431-m, with like-for-like growth -7.3%. They now operate 56 stores with a trading density of 19.1, which is a<br />
growth of 17.2%.<br />
• The Foschini Group (TFG) Sport grew their division’s sales 15.8% to R1 348.4-m in the first half of the year. They have 454 stores in the group.<br />
• Woolworths reports 16% increase in income and a 21.1% boost in profit before tax. for the 26 week period ended 29 December 2013, mainly<br />
due to their food business and the Country Road Group in Australia. The group’s Witchery, Mimco, country Road and Trenery —from the Country<br />
Road label— performed well in South Africa and Australia. Country Road now contributes 20% of profits.<br />
Mixed results for big brands<br />
SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL brands reported double-digit<br />
growth for the year ended 31 December<br />
2013.<br />
Inov-8 sales grew by a record 42% to $29-m last<br />
year. The US — making up 45% of business — experienced<br />
a 25% increase, the UK 41%, Scandanavia<br />
70%, Russia 85% and Germany 39%.<br />
Inov-8, now 11 years old, has maintained an<br />
average of 60% growth (annually) for the last five<br />
years. 77% of its sales are outside of the UK and<br />
the company has been shortlisted for the 2014<br />
Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International<br />
Trade.<br />
Year-end sales for the Shimano Group increased<br />
10.2% to $2.89-bn from 2012, due to<br />
favourable exchange rates. Growing demand for<br />
sports bikes in China balanced the negative sales<br />
results for bicycling and fishing gear in Europe,<br />
North America and Japan due to a cold and wet<br />
spring.<br />
Their sales increase in North America (12.8%<br />
to $342-m), Japan (6.7%), Europe (10.3%) and<br />
in the rest of the Asia’s (11.5%). The company’s<br />
gross profit was 35.6% and dropped 70 basis<br />
points from the previous year.<br />
Mizuno Corp also enjoyed a total income increase<br />
of $1.31-bn. The company ended their<br />
nine month period on December 31 with 9.3%<br />
growth compared to the previous financial year.<br />
The operating profit grew 52% to $35.5-m. European<br />
sales experienced a fair share of growth,<br />
climbing by 42.1% to $98.8-m.<br />
Skechers USA have tripled their earnings to<br />
$14.2-m in the fourth quarter — the second highest<br />
fourth qaurter sales in their history. Income<br />
grew 13.9% to $450.7-m, compared to the same<br />
quarter last year. The growth can be attributed<br />
to product success in their men’s, women and<br />
kids’ categories.<br />
Sports Trader :: 2014 March<br />
The company’s operational earnings more<br />
than doubled to $17.1-m and their net earnings<br />
were $14.2-m compared to the previous<br />
year’s $4.0-m. Net sales grew to $1.846-bn<br />
while earnings from operations also increased<br />
to $93.6-m.<br />
Profits of Jarden Corp’s Outdoor Solutions<br />
segment, however, dropped 21.1% to $617.9-<br />
m in the fourth quarter ended 31 December<br />
2013. The segment’s earnings were $48.7-m<br />
compared to $61.7-m the previous year. They<br />
had an operating loss was $1.9-m.<br />
The company spent $10.3-m in reorganisation<br />
costs and $25.1-m in acquisition and integration<br />
related costs while depreciation and<br />
amortization costs dropped $2-m to $15.2-m.<br />
In the first six months of the financial year<br />
Asics group revenues grew 21.4% to $1.56-bn .<br />
European sales increased 29% to $404.3-<br />
m (7.3% on a currency-neutral basis) due to<br />
strong running shoe sales and the foreign exchange<br />
rates. The region’s operating income<br />
grew 18.9% to $44.6-m, but decreased 2.3% on<br />
a currency-neutral basis. This drop indicates<br />
the effect exchange rates have on purchasing<br />
costs, increases in selling, administrative expenses,<br />
etc.<br />
Sales in the Americas grew 33.2% to $468.2-<br />
m (12% on a currency-neutral basis), but in Japan<br />
sales dropped by 1.5% to $454-m. Strong<br />
sales of walking shoes, Onitsuka Tiger shoes,<br />
running shoes and baseball equipment significantly<br />
contributed to the 3.9% (to $457.0-m)<br />
increase in US sales.<br />
Head sales dropped by 1.0% in the first nine<br />
months of 2013, but the racket sports division<br />
grew 0.4%, due to higher volumes of tennis ball<br />
sales (mainly in North America) and an improved<br />
mix in tennis racket sales.<br />
Diving sales also increased — despite cold<br />
weather conditions and economic difficulties in<br />
the European market — with noticeable growth<br />
in North America and Asia.<br />
Winter sports sales, however, dropped 5.1%,<br />
while sportswear sales also dropped 1.5%, partially<br />
caused by lower bag sales in the UK.<br />
The company’s adjusted operating loss grew<br />
by €0.3-m as a result of higher selling (racket<br />
and sportswear divisions) and marketing costs<br />
for more advertising of racket sports and diving.<br />
In the first nine months of 2013 adidas Group<br />
sales dropped by 4% to €11-bn, compared to the<br />
same period in 2012. The group expects lowsingle-digit<br />
rate (on a currency neutral basis)<br />
growth in sales in the fourth quarter.<br />
For the third quarter, they reported stable<br />
currency-neutral sales, with a 6% drop in Western<br />
Europe and 5% drop North America, balanced<br />
by strong sales in Latin America (12% up) and<br />
Greater China (9% up). The European Emerging<br />
Markets reported a 2% sales increase (on a currency<br />
neutral basis) with growth in most regions.<br />
The group reported a 7% drop in revenues to<br />
€3.9-bn, compared to the third quarter in 2012.<br />
Western European sales were lower than last<br />
year as a result of the high sell-in of event-related<br />
products before the 2012 London Olympics.<br />
The drop in North American sales is attributed<br />
to the challenging golf market experienced by<br />
TaylorMade-adidas Golf due to a late seasonal<br />
start and fewer rounds played by golfers.<br />
On a currency-neutral basis, the adidas brand<br />
sales remained stable, but Reebok experienced<br />
a 5% increase in the third quarter. The Taylor-<br />
Made-adidas Gold segment dropped 16% and<br />
Rockport revenues dropped 4%. Sales were negatively<br />
affected by currency translation.
Trade shows :: IBC<br />
Trade shows<br />
SAFTAD registrations<br />
open<br />
REGISTRATIONS TO exhibit at this<br />
year’s SAFTAD are open.<br />
Bookings have to close by 4 July,<br />
because all documents and floor<br />
plans have to be submitted to the<br />
City of Johannesburg to get approval<br />
for the show to take place.<br />
The show will take place<br />
16-17 August at 2 Vinton Road, Ormonde,<br />
Johannesburg.<br />
Shot Show<br />
MORE THAN 67 000 visitors attended<br />
the 2014 Shot Show, which<br />
took place 14-17 January.<br />
The National Shooting Sports<br />
Foundation has signed an agreement<br />
that the SHOT Show — the<br />
fifth largest trade show in Las Vegas<br />
and the largest of its kind in<br />
the world — will take place at the<br />
Sands Expo, Las Vegas, until 2018.<br />
Eurobike<br />
THIS YEAR’S Demo Day at Eurobike<br />
will be moved from the Allgäu<br />
region to the show grounds.<br />
The test day for visitors will take<br />
place the day before the show<br />
opens (26 August) in the east parking<br />
area. Eurobike takes place 27-<br />
30 August.<br />
The test area routes will cover<br />
a total of 20km, spanning across<br />
asphalt road, unpaved paths and<br />
even an elevated outlook point.<br />
Organisers expect more than<br />
1 200 exhibitors and 40 000 visitors<br />
at this year’s Eurobike.<br />
The 2015 Eurobike will take<br />
place 26-29 August.<br />
Ispo news<br />
THE TECHNOGYM Google Glass<br />
controlled treadmill was the winner<br />
of the ISPO Product of the<br />
Year award in the Performance<br />
Segment at the 2014 Ispo Munich<br />
trade show.<br />
The Oru Kayak, a 3.6-m long<br />
kayak that weighs 11kg and folds<br />
into a bag that is small enough to<br />
fit into any car boot, was the Outdoor<br />
category winner.<br />
Houdini Sportswear received<br />
the Ispo Eco-Achievement award.<br />
Ispo Beijing<br />
Ispo Beijing, which took place 19-22<br />
February at the China National Convention<br />
Center, featured more than<br />
600 exhibiting brands (2013: 567)<br />
from 23 countries of origin, covering<br />
an exhibition area of 42 000m 2 .<br />
The largest category was the<br />
outdoor section.<br />
Ispo China summer<br />
Messe München will be hosting<br />
the first summer Ispo trade show<br />
in China in 2015. At the time of<br />
going to print the exact date and<br />
venue were still to be announced.<br />
OutDoor show<br />
THE OUTDOOR show will have<br />
more weekdays, starting with<br />
next year’s show. The 2015 show<br />
will take place Wednesday-Saturday<br />
(15-18 July).<br />
While visitor numbers have been<br />
steadily increasing over the years,<br />
the increase has typically been<br />
during the week days, which led<br />
to the organisers deciding to move<br />
the show forward by a day to allow<br />
for more week day exhibiting.<br />
Ispo Munich<br />
The 2014 Ispo Munich trade show,<br />
which took place 26-29 January,<br />
featured 2 565 exhibitors from 51<br />
countries in a record 104 720m 2 of<br />
exhibition space.<br />
More than 80 000 visitors from<br />
110 countries attended the show.<br />
A special hall was dedicated to<br />
health and fitness exhibitors. The<br />
area allowed visitors to test footwear,<br />
game consoles and products<br />
related to occupational health<br />
management from a variety of<br />
new exhibitors. Over the past<br />
two years health and fitness has<br />
received special attention at Ispo<br />
with a special exhibition area and<br />
international conferences. A multi-faceted<br />
side event programme<br />
with renowned presenters who<br />
discussed the latest health topics<br />
was also held during the show.<br />
The show also featured the new<br />
Padel Tennis (a Latin American<br />
sport derived from tennis) Village<br />
where apparel, equipment and<br />
accessories were exhibited.<br />
This year the European Outdoor<br />
Organisers are also considering<br />
opening the show to the public<br />
on the last day in the future. The<br />
public day works well at Eurobike,<br />
which led the organisers of Out-<br />
Door to consider the idea.<br />
This year’s show will still have<br />
the usual Thursday-Sunday dates<br />
(10-13 July).<br />
Over 620 exhibitors from 45<br />
countries have already registered<br />
to exhibit at the 2014 OutDoor.<br />
Group (EOG) partnered with Ispo<br />
to launch a new initiative to attract<br />
approximately 70 new retailers<br />
to Ispo Munich, by offering<br />
VIP access free of charge and subsidising<br />
retailer accommodation.<br />
EOG members, which include the<br />
top 100 outdoor product suppliers,<br />
were asked to nominate retailers.<br />
To qualify, retailers must<br />
have traded successfully for over<br />
year, with at least 40% of their<br />
profit coming from outdoor sales<br />
and they should not have visited<br />
Ispo Munich in the past, or at<br />
least not in the last three years.<br />
Ispo Open Innovation is a new<br />
service at the show that allows<br />
companies to integrate experts<br />
and consumers into the innovation<br />
process by testing products<br />
and giving feedback on products.<br />
Next year’s Ispo Munich will take<br />
place 5-8 February. The change in<br />
week days is due to an extremely<br />
busy calendar of events taking<br />
place at the Messe München exhibition<br />
centre next year.<br />
Euroshop<br />
EUROSHOP 2014 — which took<br />
place 16-20 February in Düsseldorf,<br />
Germany — had four themes<br />
covering aspects of retailing:<br />
EuroConcept, EuroSales, EuroCIS<br />
and EuroExpo. The retail trade<br />
show is held every three years.<br />
Exhibits included the latest<br />
trends and developments in various<br />
aspects of retailing, such as<br />
shop fitting, product presentation,<br />
retail technology, etc.<br />
Advertisers index<br />
Acelli 49<br />
adidas 55<br />
Aero 68<br />
Anton Fabi 1<br />
Asics 39<br />
BAS 59<br />
Bertuzzi Distribution 5, OBC<br />
Bronx 13<br />
BRT 49<br />
Brutal 49<br />
Canterbury 50<br />
Co-Lab Industries 11, 15<br />
Crown Footwear 3, 27<br />
Dukes 69<br />
Footwear Trading 7<br />
Fruit of the Loom 5<br />
Gilbert 51<br />
Gunn & Moore 62, 63<br />
Headwear 24 15<br />
Hi-Tec 10<br />
Inov-8 37<br />
Jordan 17<br />
Jordan & Co 1, 13, 17, 39, 48<br />
JR Gear 75<br />
JRT Crampton 67<br />
Kakiebos 3<br />
Kappa 46<br />
Kevro Sport 49<br />
Kookaburra 67<br />
Leisure Holdings 51<br />
Levi's 7<br />
Lite Optec 42<br />
LP 16<br />
Mille 47<br />
Mizuno 38<br />
NcStar 72<br />
New Balance OFC, 35<br />
New Era 9<br />
OBO 68<br />
Olympic 48<br />
Opal Sports 56, 62, 63, 69<br />
Polly 11<br />
R&S Traders 72<br />
Ram Mountaineering 76<br />
Rebel Elite Fitness 37<br />
Reebok 9<br />
Rocky 27<br />
Russell Athletic<br />
OBC<br />
SASFIN 19<br />
Sedgars 59<br />
Sevenn 49<br />
Skye Distribution 47<br />
Slazenger 65<br />
Summit 56<br />
Super-Brands 38, 50, 65<br />
Touch of Magic 54<br />
True Utility 41<br />
Umbro 53<br />
W.E.T. Sports 16, 52<br />
2014 March :: Sports Trader
Fall/Winter<br />
ColleCtion<br />
StockiSt required<br />
Russell Athletic South Africa T: 021 552 2948 | F: 021 551 2952<br />
info@russellathletic.co.za | www.russellathletic.co.za<br />
Facebook: Russell Athletic South Africa | Twitter: RussellAthl_ZA