LUSAKA, ZAMBIA – Rugby Sevens sponsor Paratus has called for the national team to amplify its efforts for the coming season. The team will make its debut appearance at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games from April 13-15 in Australia and has been drawn in Pool C alongside New Zealand, Canada and Kenya.
Zambia qualified for the Commonwealth Games men’s rugby sevens tournament following its impressive performance at last year’s Africa Cup Sevens competition. Despite losing 26-7 to Madagascar in the third place play-off after a strong showing, Zambia secured a berth at Gold Coast 2018 as the second best Commonwealth team behind winners Uganda.

Speaking during the unveiling of the team’s new kit in Lusaka this week, Paratus country manager Marius van Vuuren said rugby is all about preparation. “The more the team is prepared, the greater chances of winning.” The kit was unveiled ahead of an exciting 2018 season which sees the men’s national team play in the rugby Commonwealth Games for the very first time. This is just a year after the sport was revitalised under a new management contract that has signed up a whole lot of new sponsors including Paratus. “In rugby, the process to performing better at tournaments is a long one and starts with preparation. Today, we unveil the first, and one of the most critical elements of that process – our new kit for 2018 rugby season. Paratus considers preparation as the key to everything, because it drives good performance and success. Our motto – Always Prepared, exemplifies this,” he explained.
The fact that it unifies people, Paratus considers rugby 7s as one of the most important sports in the country. Amazingly, the sport has much wider impact – it teaches valuable lessons in life such as the importance of teamwork, self-discipline and determination. These values resonate well with our business and have helped Paratus succeed in a tough market.
Van Vuuren says the new kit was designed to ensure the team looks professional and stylish. “We believe it will help motivate the players to concentrate and perform to the best of their ability. The classic design of this kit is unique and it offers us hope that the team will not only perform better, but also help make the sport more popular among supporters in Zambia during and after the matches.”

Mr Vuuren says Paratus is committed to making rugby a game for all people and that the kit was representative of inclusiveness, pride and unity. “This kit will help inspire players to strive for greatness this season and bring more people together. I believe this will encourage more Zambians to love and get involved in rugby.” The newly launched jersey features logos of top tier sponsors which includes Paratus, Windhoek Lager, Isuzu and Kwesé. It has a colour combination of Zambia’s national flag including green, orange and black. These blend well and imply a sense of national pride. He hopes the kit will make players feel more patriotic, united and excited during the games. “The design will ensure that our players stand out on the pitch and we are all looking forward to the team performing well this season.” “This is the kind of the jersey that all rugby fans in Zambia will smile about and we are so happy that the design has gone down well with rugby supporters,” he concludes.