SA Rugby has warned supporters and consumers against buying any Springbok apparel from online outlets who pass themselves off as “official” but end up scamming fans.

The rugby body says authentic Springbok supporters wear is only available online from a number of legitimate websites.

This includes the official SA Rugby shop – sarugbyshop.co.za.

Fans can also purchase original gear from other digital platforms of well-known retailers such as Sportsmans Warehouse, Totalsports and Studio88, and established online retailers such as superbalist.com.

CEO of SA Rugby Rian Oberholzer says they’ve seen many websites pop up online calling themselves ‘official’ to get on the Springbok bandwagon, but they never deliver and consumers end up out of pocket.

“They cut-and-paste genuine marketing material from Nike to pass themselves off as having stock – even at discounted prices. But they are deceiving the public who should only purchase from established outlets from brands with which they are familiar.

“We realise many supporters are keen to get their hands on the new range from Nike, but we would warn them to only buy from official and well-known outlets or risk being defrauded.”

Some of the sites trying to cash in on the Rugby World Cup fever include www.sarugbystore.co.za AND www.rugbyworldcupstore.co.za.

There are also accounts on social media advertising Springbok-branded gear at unrealistically reduced prices.

SA Rugby says it has taken legal action in an attempt to protect supporters by having these sites taken down, and they’ve advised fans to stay well away from these sites.

For more information visit the SA Rugby Shop.

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