Opus announces the Springboks Opus
Opus Media Group PLC are delighted to announce the signing of a partnership deal to produce the official Springboks Opus.
The deal was officially announced at a special press conference in Cape Town when Opus marketing director Mick Sawyer presented the Springboks with a copy of the exclusive Superbowl Opus MVP Edition, one of the first publications in the Opus Collection.
The Springboks Opus will cover all aspects of the game, celebrating the long and rich history of rugby in South Africa, from its origins to the two great World Cup triumphs by way of some the greatest players ever to represent their country. The volume will feature interviews not only with Springbok legends, but also some of the best players ever to play against them, the Springbok Opus will offer an epic historical perspective on a sport that defines a nation.
“We’re very proud of the fact that the Springboks will be the subject of the first rugby Opus to be published”, said Andy Marinos, acting managing director of SA Rugby. “It places us alongside iconic global sporting institutions such as Manchester United, Ferrari and Arsenal but until you’ve seen an Opus it’s difficult to understand just how significant is this project.”
“An Opus is a monumental production and the editors will be taking on a monumental task,” said Marinos. “The history of rugby in our country has been a divided one but we are promised that the Springbok Opus will pull all of those strands together in a way that has never been achieved before.
The first 100 copies of the Springbok Opus will form a marquee Edition, which will be personally signed by a number of Springbok legends. The current captain, the widely respected John Smit, who led the Springboks to both their 2007 Rugby World Cup victory and to the 2009 series win over the British & Irish Lions, says he is thrilled at the prospect: “Representing my country is always a very proud moment; an Opus will be a fitting tribute to the efforts and achievements of all the men who have played for the Springboks over the years”.
The No 1 copy – always highly sought after by collectors – will be reserved for a special auction, with the proceeds going directly to two very worthy charities: the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund and the Chris Burger Petro Jackson Fund, the main charity for badly injured former players.
In addition, all affiliated rugby clubs in South Africa will be offered the opportunity to purchase a specially allotted official copy for their club as part of a ‘special partners’ pre-order scheme.
Opus Media Group PLC are currently in talks with a number of established South African organisations which are keen to partner the Springbok Opus. Mick Sawyer, Opus marketing director, explains: “South Africa’s emotional affinity with rugby extends way beyond simply following a sport. For a Springbok fan it all comes down to one word – passion, so it’s not surprising that there has already been a huge amount of interest in the Springbok Opus. We anticipate that this will grow even more now that the word is officially out!”
Opus are in the process of putting together a first-class creative and editorial team, to be based in South Africa, to produce the Springboks Opus. Mick went on to say: “One of the reasons Opus have offices all around the world is to take advantage of local expertise wherever possible. We aim to recruit the best and the brightest writers, photographers and designers in South Africa to do justice to this epic undertaking.”
