We are days away from the start of the Rugby World Cup, and Springboks fans are being warned against buying fake rugby shirts from online outlets claiming to be "official".
SA Rugby said authentic Springbok supporters' wear is only available online from a number of legitimate websites, such as www.sarugbyshop.co.za, and retailers such as Sportsmans Warehouse, Totalsports, Studio88, and Superbalist.
CEO of SA Rugby Rian Oberholzer says they have 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.
He says they will 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."
SA Rugby advised fans to stay away from websites such as SA Rugby Store or Rugby World Cup Store, as well as social media accounts advertising Springbok-branded gear at unrealistically reduced prices.
The sites are also not secure as it does not have a secure URL.
SA Rugby said they are taking legal action in an attempt to protect supporters by having these sites taken down.
The price of an original Bok Jersey could set you back by between R999 to R2599 while the fake jerseys are being offered at half the price.
Pic: Shirts on sale on a fake website which is not secure.
