African and French rugby clubs launch Socios.com Fan Tokens
The Sharks are the first sports team in Africa to launch a Fan Token on Socios.com
The Sharks, a South African professional Rugby Union team, and Stade Français, a French pro Rugby Union club based in Paris, have both partnered with Chiliz, the global blockchain provider for the sports industry, to unveil new Fan Tokens on the engagement and reward app Socios.com.
The announcement makes The Sharks the first sports team in Africa to launch a Socios.com Fan Token and Stade Français the first French rugby union club.
According to Socios.com, it offers “Fan Token holders around the world with an array of new rewards, opportunities for engagement through polls, and a community where they can build networks with other fans.”
Additionally, Socios.com and Chiliz will continuously work with both clubs to liaise with fans and Fan Token holders to explore new ways to reward and engage fans.
‘Fans deserve recognition for support’
Thomas Lombard, CEO of Stade Français, said: “We are proud to be the first rugby club in France to launch Fan Tokens by partnering with Socios.com. The club’s fans deserve to be recognised for their unfailing support. We want to thank them for their loyalty and passion for the Stade Français Paris by offering them innovative engagement opportunities. They will have the opportunity to participate in decisions that directly impact the life of the club.”
Dr Eduard Coetzee, CEO of The Sharks, said: “The Sharks are thrilled to welcome Socios.com to our family. Our two brands share a common vision in terms of bringing our communities together and seeing them thrive, as well as being leaders and innovators in our respective fields. Our support base has a global footprint, and we look forward to working with the Socios.com team to give our fans greater insight into the team environment and make them feel part of their favourite team.”
Leicester Tigers, the Saracens and the Harlequins
In July 2022, three leading UK Premiership Rugby Union clubs, the Leicester Tigers, the Saracens and the Harlequins, all partnered with Chiliz to launch a Fan Token on Socios.com.
At the time Chiliz said the partnerships marked “its latest expansion into a new sport”. Up to 1.5 million fans from more than 160 countries are using Socios.com to connect with and be rewarded by the sports clubs they support.
