Soccer team sports new colours

University of Cape Town's Football Club will be sporting new strips at their next game, thanks to a sponsorship from Caltex Oil (SA).

The new kit, modelled on the comic book Supa Strikas team, was handed over at a function in Cape Town recently.

The sponsorship was organised through Citiwise, a subsidised on-campus driver education programme of which Caltex is a joint sponsor. Citiwise has been on the UCT campus since 1997 and has helped thousands of students gain their driver's licence.

Janet Finch, Caltex brand relations and sponsorship manager, explained that the kit sponsorship formed part of an overall strategy to grow Citiwise's involvement in everyday campus life.

"Citiwise is about the students and this sponsorship is an extension of that, an undertaking to support the students and add value to their everyday lives," Finch said. "For Caltex, our 'What Drives You' campaign is also aimed at reiterating our understanding of people's lives, dreams and goals, and this sponsorship bears further evidence of this."

The red soccer kit has become increasingly popular since its introduction some 18 months ago when Supa Strikas first hit the news. The comic book team has captured the hearts and minds of the youth and now sports a supporters club of some 15 000 members. Caltex is the official team sponsor and, based on the growing demand, produced kit for promotional purposes, such as the campus sponsorship.

"We are delighted with our new kit," said Martin Wilhelm, chairperson of the UCT Soccer Club and coach. "The new strips certainly make the team look like a professional football side and instil a real sense of pride. It further incentivises the team to up their game and do their campus and sponsor proud."

In addition to the University of Cape Town kit, Caltex has also sponsored kit for teams at the Peninsula Technikon, University of Port Elizabeth, University of Natal and Wits University.