Cronje loses lucrative sponsorships

Cronje loses lucrative sponsorships

JOHANNESBURG, APRIL 12: Disgraced Hansie Cronje has lost lucrative marketing contracts in the wake of his startling admission that he took money from bookmakers.

Spur Steak Ranches, a South African restaurant chain which runs an advert in which Cronje greedily munches a huge hamburger bought at discount prices, announced late last evening that it was ending its multi-million Rand association with him.

``We are going to have to end our relationship and probably end it permanently,'' executive chairman Allen Ambor said.

``(We) end it with great sadness and in the hope that he can come out of this with something for his future.''

Adidas South Africa, which sponsors both the National team and a few individuals separately, said on Wednesday that it was suspending its support of Cronje but maintaining team sponsorship.

``He's a wonderful person and has been a great ambassador to our brand,'' Gavin Cowley, marketing director of Adidas South Africa, said.

``We have supported Cronje for more than a decade, since he was a schoolboy. But we feel very let down.''

Cronje will also lose considerable income drawn from guest appearances. A popular after-dinner speaker, Cronje is reported to command 10,000 Rand ($ 1,500) a night.

Most corporate sponsors, who back the team rather than individual players, said that they would stand by cricket and wait for the results of an independent inquiry before making sponsorship decisions.

``Our relationship is with the team,'' said Dave Carruthers, Marketing Manager of a South African Brewery, which has sponsored South African cricket for nearly two decades.

``We are pleased with the speed with which the United Cricket Board has chosen to act on this matter and we have every confidence that it will get to the bottom of it.''

Standard Bank, which is the sole multi-million Rand sponsor of One-Day cricket in South Africa, said it would also continue its support, at least until the results of the inquiry.

However, if more tarnishing evidence came to light about the team, the company could reconsider its four-year support, John Bryant, Standard's Group Marketing Director, said.

Mobile phone company MTN, which has a joint sponsorship deal with South African Breweries valued at more than 10 million Rand ($<\!q>1.5 million), said it would also reserve judgment until after the inquiry.

``The imperfections of one, two or three people will not affect our sponsorship of the game,'' said spokesman Jacques Shellschop.

``The fact that we do not live in a perfect world with perfect individuals is not at this stage enough to dislodge our support.''