Some of the country’s best women’s distance runners were left behind this week when the popular Murray & Roberts Running Club lost its main sponsor, leaving the club’s future in doubt. With Murray & Roberts experiencing a “cash crunch”, as it explained to members in a letter released this week, the company cannot continue to support the club. And although this is not an unusual situation, as many companies have pulled the club’s sponsorship over the years (many of which eventually closed due to the decision), the biggest concern about this week’s news is that the club …
Some of the country’s best women’s distance runners were left behind this week when the popular Murray & Roberts Running Club lost its main sponsor, leaving the club’s future in doubt.
With Murray & Roberts experiencing a “cash crunch”, as it explained to members in a letter released this week, the company cannot continue to support the club.
And although this is not an unusual situation, as many companies have pulled the sponsorship of clubs over the years (many of which have ended up closing due to this decision), the biggest concern about this week’s news is that the club is specifically throwing its weight around. female athlete.
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At elite level, the Murray & Roberts club supports Comrades Marathon gold medalists Adele Broodryk and Jenna Challenor. More importantly, they have also sponsored several stars in the country, including Tayla Kavanagh and Cian Oldknow.
Although the club is not closed, and will continue under new management led by former elite star Rene Kalmer, the members have made it clear that elite support will not work unless they find new sponsors.
another club
It’s not all doom and gloom, and some of the club’s top runners will soon be snapped up by other professional clubs, including Nedbank, Boxer and Maxed Elite.
But the reality is, unless Murray & Roberts Running Club finds a new sponsor, or a new club fills the gap, some athletes will struggle to find financial support, making it more challenging to compete at the professional or semi level. – professional level.
It’s sad, and this week’s letter to club members is very apologetic, but we live in a real world where some things require significant resources, and whatever.
Over the years, some of the country’s biggest professional clubs have closed, leaving top athletes stranded, with major brands pulling their support for athletics.
But the Murray & Roberts Running Club is unique in that it caters more to female road runners than any other club in the country.
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Even if the club can’t find new sponsors, the likes of Broodryk and Challenor should have no problem finding a new home. The problem is that the likes of Kavanagh and Oldknow may not have it easy, and this will be a huge blow to the future of SA women’s athletics.
The athlete is one of the most talented road runners South Africa has produced in decades and it would be a shame if he didn’t have enough support to reach his potential.
I hope a solution can be found to ensure these young women can continue their careers and not be discouraged by the news we received this week.
Losing a major domestic club is always a pity. But it would be a real shame if we lost a talented athlete as well.