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Cape Town — The Springboks have lost a second sponsor in a matter of days with German car company BMW joining Absa in not renewing their contract. Diederik Reitsma, spokesperson for BMW, told Netwerk24 yesterday that they will not be renewing their sponsorship with the Boks when it expires in December this year.

BMW’s five-year sponsorship included the addition of the BMW brand mark to the left leg of the players’ shorts in official matches as well as the provision of BMW vehicles to the Springboks while on Test match duty in South Africa.

This comes after the Sunday Times on Sunday reported that jersey sponsor, Absa, opted not to renew its contract with the South African Rugby Union (Saru). It is believed that the Absa deal was worth R100m a year for just the Springboks and R600m in total for the four-year period. Absa earlier also opted not to renew its sponsorship for the 2016 Currie Cup.

Absa, previously under the guise of Santam Bank and Bankfin, has backed the Currie Cup, one of the oldest competitions in world sport, since 1985. Earlier this month BMW were confirmed as the new title sponsors for next January’s South African Open at Glendower Golf Club.

Saru is reportedly in discussions with another bank, FNB, about sponsoring the Currie Cup as well as the Springbok Sevens team, who are also currently sponsored by Absa.— Sport24