CAPE TOWN. – The WeChat Newlands Challenge which lured over 6000 fans through the turnstiles to be part of the sporting extravaganza which saw the Cape Cobras, the DHL Stormers, Ajax Cape Town and Santos face-off in T20- and six-overs-a-side-matches, was an unqualified success and have all the ingredients to become an annual event again, said Nabeal Dien, Chief Executive Officer of the Cape Cobras.
Dien said judged on the way in which cricket, rugby and soccer-fans embraced the event and the vibrancy at PPC Newlands on Tuesday, the Cape Cobras are confident this will be hosted again.
“We will host 18 international games over the next four years which will limit our opportunities to stage events of this nature. Yet, we have been overwhelmed by the fans’ response. The WeChat Newlands Challenge not only contributes to social cohesion. It also unites the different sporting sport basis of the Mother City and therefore was an instant hit.
“It is a very special occasion to have the premier rugby-franchise of the Western Cape, the DHL Stormers, one of the leading cricket-franchises in South Africa, the Cape Cobras, and two of the premier soccer-forces in Cape Town, Ajax Cape Town and Santos, engaged in friendly battle,” he said.
“Bringing the three sporting codes together is a great initiative, and may it long continue,” said Dion Mostert, sales and marketing manager of Ajax Cape Town.
Gavin Lewis, communications manager of the DHL Stormers, applauded the massive effort in conceptualizing and bringing the event to fruition. “It was a great event as always,” he said.
According to Ronald Bach, WeChat Africa’s New Business Manager , WeChat is excited to co-host the WeChat Newlands Challenge.
Fans had the opportunity to buy tickets to the event on the TicketPros website or at the PPC Newlands ticket office using their WeChat Wallet and received R80 paid back into their WeChat wallet to spend at food and drinks vendors in the stadium.
WeChat promoters assisted fans to download the app and open their WeChat Wallets at the WeChat wifi zones and stadium vendors quickly had queues of fans eager to spend the money in their WeChat wallets at their stalls.
“Fans also had the opportunity to enter the WeChat Money Zones contest. 10 contestants were selected from all the entries for the half-time contest where prize money of up to R30 000,00 was up for grabs.
Contestants each had the change to face three gentle deliveries from Cobras bowlers and based on how far they hit the ball into the various money zones, earned between R100 and R1000 paid into their WeChat Wallets”, Bach added.
