Cape Town - SA Rugby bagged an all-time high of FIVE nominations in the popular Discovery Sport Industry Awards for 2018, with the world champion Springbok Sevens team up for the major award of Brand of the Year.
 
The Blitzboks had a sublime 2016/17 World Rugby Sevens Series. After reaching eight out of ten finals and winning five tournaments, they were crowned champions, which also saw them walk away with the award for South African Sports Team of the Year at the annual SA Sport Awards - organised by the National Department of Sports and Recreation - in November.
 
Three further Sevens activations were also nominated, while the Get Into Rugby programme - endorsed by World Rugby through which close to 200 000 children have been introduced to the game - was shortlisted for the Development Programme of the Year.
 
The sold-out Cape Town Sevens, where more than 115 000 spectators filled Cape Town Stadium for two action-packed days in December, yet again made it onto the shortlist for the Best Live Experience Award. The tournament won this award in 2017.
 
SA Rugby’s online video, “The Arrival” - a quirky look at the Blitzboks’ homecoming after they were crowned world champions - was nominated for the Best Use of PR.
 
And the Megatron, the biggest screen ever erected at any sporting event in Africa at 320 square metres, is in line for the Cutting Edge Sport Award.
 
The broader rugby family attracted several other nominations.
 
In the category for Creative Activation of the Year, Vodacom was nominated for their Vodacom Super Rugby Red Rewards and the Vodacom Red Father & Son Sleep-out.
 
The SA Rugby Legends Association’s Vuka programme will be up against Get Into Rugby for the Development Programme of the Year Award.
 
The Sharks’ Facebook page is up for the Digital Platform of the Year Award, while Vodacom (for Super Rugby 2017) and DHL (for DHL Delivers at the Cape Town Sevens) are up for the Best Sponsorship of an Event or Competition Award.
 
Nashua & Shadowball and BrightRock are both up for two awards - in the category for Best New Sponsorship, for the Nashua Rugby Skills Project and the BrightRock Players Choice Awards, as well as the Cutting Edge Award.
 
Vodacom are up for two further awards - Campaign of the Year (for Super Rugby 2017) and Best Sponsorship of a Team or Individual (for the Bulls).