The first time South Africa played at Lord’s was in 1907. This June, they return to the iconic venue for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) final against Australia, with the hearts of the nation behind them and the Taste that’s stood the Test of time, Castle Lager, on their sleeves.
Celebrating 130 years of commitment to South Africa in 2025, the South African Breweries and Castle Lager continue to stand proudly behind the people and passions that unite the nation. Having pioneered sports sponsorship in South Africa, SAB, through Castle Lage,r has always been trusted in innovating and supporting the country’s biggest sporting moments.
In that time, Castle Lager has witnessed the greatest triumphs and the most bitter heartbreaks the Proteas have experienced.
Over the last three decades, since South Africa’s readmission to cricket, Castle Lager has backed the Proteas. In the coming days, Castle Lager will once again proudly display that support on the leading sleeves of the Proteas’ kit when captain Temba Bavuma and the team take the field in the WTC final, starting on June 11.
“This moment with Cricket South Africa does not come as a surprise, as we have been backing the Proteas since 1992,” said Vaughan Croeser, Vice-President of Marketing at SAB. “We’ve continued to innovate and evolve how we support South African sports. Our commitment is steadfast as we drive sport forward in bold and meaningful ways.
“As part of our brand’s commitment to the Proteas, we are proud to be back on the sleeve of the playing kit ahead of the final taking place at Lord’s in London. This is a huge milestone in our sponsorship and one we hope will be known to have stood the test of time with Proteas.
“Castle Lager is the quintessential super fan of South Africa,” Croeser added.
“It’s the brand that you can always trust to bring people together around the things that they love, and Castle Lager and South Africa simply love the Proteas and our national teams. Through those partnerships, we have always aimed to be more than a sponsor.
“This is how we grow our business responsibly and create a lasting impact in the communities we operate in.”
For the fans here at home, there will be competitions across various channels, a limited special edition Castle x Proteas jersey, designed in collaboration with the new Protea technical sponsor Macron.
Castle Lager will also bring the game to South African communities by hosting viewing parties across the country. Follow the Castle Lager social channels for more information.
The legacy has been brewing for over three decades…
Fabled is the walk for players through the Lord’s Pavilion to the hallowed ground. Make a wrong turn and one can get lost in the labyrinth, as did English cricketer David Steele in 1975 on his way to the crease.
To march through the Long Room is to be steeped in tradition and to weather the pressed glare of the Marylebone Cricket Club members. Lining “the most evocative four walls in cricket” are the portraits of some of the game’s greatest players and the age-old honours boards that record every century and five-wicket haul.
Engraved on those are over 20 South Africans who are immortalised. From Percy Sherwell and Bert Vogler during the first ever Test, to the modern era of Kepler Wessels, Graeme Smith, Ashwell Prince, Hashim Amla, Allan Donald, Makhaya Ntini, Vernon Philander, and Kagiso Rabada, the Proteas have only enriched the history of the famous old ground.
Although all precious, perhaps most memorable of all remain Wessels’ trendsetting century in the ‘90s and Smith’s magnificent 259 in the early 2000s. The latter remains the only South African to have scored a double century at Lord’s.
Graeme’s name appears twice and is joined in that honour by Hashim Amla and Allan Donald. In 2003, South African great Ntini achieved the rare triumph of two five-fours in a Test at Lord’s, finishing with figures of 10/220.
After the heroics of Player of the Match Vernon Philander in 2012, South Africa wrestled away the No. 1 Test ranking from England with a tense 51-run victory. That 2-0 series win laid the foundation for our country to win the first of three Test matches.
Indeed, since 92, the Proteas have a favourable Test record at Lord’s, having won five of their seven games there.
The same cannot be said about our record against Australia. The Baggy Greens have largely dominated the Test series. Nonetheless, scattered throughout are fiercely competitive clashes.
Who could ever forget Fanie de Villiers in Sydney in 1994, or more recently Graeme’s attempt to save the third Test in January 2009 with a broken hand, or the defiant debut of Faf du Plessis, which lives on as the embodiment of South African resilience?
That rivalry is set to continue in June, with Castle Lager hosting two lucky fans to experience the match at Lord’s.
