Rugby World Cup 2023 Fan Park

A major sporting tournament creates a rare kind of shared attention.

For the Rugby World Cup 2023, the opportunity at Zimbali Estate was to turn that attention into something more valuable: a recurring community experience that could bring residents together throughout the tournament rather than simply screen the matches.

The Country Club became the home of the series, with the programme designed around the Springbok campaign and key tournament fixtures. Across multiple screenings, the venue shifted between family gathering place, supporter hub, hospitality environment and brand activation platform.

The screen may have been the focal point, but it was never intended to be the whole experience.

A tournament unfolds over weeks, which meant each match needed enough consistency to feel part of one recognisable platform and enough variation to give residents a reason to return.

Pre-match entertainment, live music, children's activities, food, drinks, competitions and partner activations created a rhythm around the rugby itself.

The Country Club kitchen developed menus inspired by South African favourites and competing nations, transforming match-day food into another expression of the tournament. Hospitality partners added themed drinks, tastings and specials, while family programming ensured the experience could work for supporters of different ages.

The result was not a room waiting for kick-off. It was an environment that started building energy before the match and gave guests reasons to stay afterwards.

Brand partnerships were designed around what each business could contribute to the experience rather than simply where a logo could be placed.

Freedom Won powered the central 250-inch screen and incorporated a lead-generation competition around its energy products.

Toyota used the platform to combine vehicle display, social participation and experience-led reward, culminating in a 4x4 weekend prize.

Sportsman’s Warehouse created a retail touchpoint where supporters could purchase official rugby apparel.

Oppo and MTN introduced social competition mechanics linked to match predictions and player performance, extending participation onto guests’ own digital channels.

Heineken brought live music into selected match days, while Diageo and other beverage partners contributed to the hospitality environment.

Each partnership performed a different role, but together they made the fan park more useful, entertaining and commercially relevant.

The platform also created an opportunity to connect the excitement around the Rugby World Cup to something beyond the tournament.

The Hearts of Gold Raffle ran throughout the series, with proceeds directed toward upgrading rugby facilities at Shaka’s Head High School through the SA Rugby Legends development programme.

SA Rugby Legends including AJ Venter and Stefan Terblanche joined selected events, creating moments of access for residents while connecting the celebration of the national team to the development of the game at community level.

This gave the platform another dimension.

Support for the Springboks became a reason to gather, but the attention generated by that gathering could also be redirected toward participation, community development and longer-term impact.

Across the tournament, the Rugby World Cup Fan Park welcomed residents and guests back to the Country Club repeatedly, creating a shared home for one of South Africa’s most significant sporting moments.

More importantly, it demonstrated how a sporting event can become a platform around which hospitality, community, commercial partnership, digital participation and social impact all work together.