Lions & SA Rugby appoint Whisper Cymru as production partner

The British & Irish Lions and SA Rugby have appointed Whisper Cymru, part of the Whisper Group, as Production Partner for the upcoming 2021 Castle Lager Lions Series in South Africa.

As Production Partner, Whisper Cymru will be responsible for providing content for both the Lions and SA Rugby owned channels, as well as for all of the tour’s commercial partners.

The Lions Tour sees Britain and Ireland take on the might of the Southern Hemisphere every four years, alternating between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. South Africa are the current World Cup champions with Springbok captain Siya Kolisi lifting the trophy in 2019.

For this year’s series, Whisper will be embedded within both the Lions and Springbok camps to capture and deliver behind-the-scenes content, along with game build-up, match highlights and themed partner material.

With COVID-19 restrictions remaining, Whisper will draw on its remote production credentials to support all team, partner and broadcast requirements throughout the tour.

Whisper’s production team will be led by Carys Owens for the Lions and Elma Smit for the Springboks.

Owens, managing director of Whisper Cymru, said: “We are obviously thrilled to be working on this unique tour with both the Lions and Springboks. Throughout the pandemic we have proven how nimble and reactive we can be, despite ongoing restrictions. We will use that experience, combined with our relentless drive and ambition, to create content that truly reflects the significance and importance of this historic tour. We will simultaneously immerse fans in the onsite experience and reveal what it’s like to participate in one of the most prestigious sports competitions in the world.”

Shane Whelan, director of digital, marketing & communications at the British & Irish Lions, said: “We are delighted to add Whisper to our talented list of agencies for the 2021 tour. The series will provide the Lions and SA Rugby with the opportunity to bring fans closer to the tour than ever before; we look forward to seeing that reflected with brilliant behind-the-scenes content and programming across both teams’ extensive list of digital channels.”

Jurie Roux, CEO SA Rugby, said: “The days when sports events began with first whistle and ended with the final blast from the referee are long gone and providing compelling, behind-the-scenes content from within the team environment is essential to engaging with our audience – especially in these days of lockdown and closed venues. We are delighted to be adding Whisper to the team to bring the players and the series closer to the fans, providing otherwise unseen content to make the series live, even when the players aren’t on the field.”

The Lions partnership adds to Whisper’s rugby portfolio, which also includes Welsh Rugby Union, the Women’s Six Nations, RLWC2021 and World Rugby.