Rassie Erasmus will join a stellar field of former sports stars, celebrities, professional golfers and business leaders at this year’s Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational at The Lost City Golf Course from 18-19 November, with corporate South Africa and other large multinationals also throwing their weight behind the drive to raise funds for the work of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation.
Business giants Rolex, Sun International, BMW and Amrod as well as new partners Citadel and Tabono have united in their support of The Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation’s work to ensure the sustainability of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School which was established by Gary and Vivienne Player in 1990 for underprivileged children in their community.
Erasmus, the Director of South African Rugby, will return from the Rugby World Cup in France to make his debut in this Sunshine Tour-sanctioned tournament. He will join fellow rugby stars Butch James, Patrick Lambie, Breyton Paulse, Stefan Terblanche, Jaco van der Westhuizen and Adriaan Strauss.
Some of the biggest names in football will also be in the field this year including Liverpool legend Sir Kenny Dalglish and South African stars Shaun Bartlett, Jimmy Tau, Matthew Booth, Aaron Mokoena and Brian Baloyi.
South African boxing great Brian Mitchell also returns to an event where he was on the winning team in 2019, while Sally Little, South Africa’s most successful women’s professional golfer, adds to the sports stars in this year’s field.
The celebrities who will gather at Sun City include former Miss South Africa and Miss World Rolene Strauss, renowned chef Reuben Riffel, comedian David Kau, and well-known personalities Maps Maponyane and Felicity Shiba.
Gary Player said he was overwhelmed by this strong show of support for an event that is very close to his heart.
“In her last words to me, my late wife Vivienne asked me to promise to keep our Foundation going and to ensure the children of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School continue to be taken care of. Vivienne’s legacy will always be her loving heart and the fact that she started this school all those years ago on our farm. My legacy is to keep helping people wherever we can through golf. Thanks to this tournament and all the wonderful people and companies involved, including Citadel and Tabono, all of our legacies will be the future we keep creating for the young children of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School.”
Reon Barnard, co-founder of Tabono, board member of the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School and a trustee of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, welcomed the considerable support for this charity event as they come on board as a new partner this year.
“We are thrilled to be partnering with the Gary and Vivienne Player Invitational and to support the efforts of the Foundation in raising much needed funds for the Blair Atholl Pre-Primary School. We are truly honoured and proud to be part of Gary and Vivienne Player’s legacy. We look forward to a very successful charity event this year.”
Andrew Möller, Chief Executive Officer of Citadel and also a new partner this year, said the work of the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation aligns perfectly with their own expertise and passion for creating sustainable wealth which also contributes to meaningful change in society.
“We have a long-standing relationship with the Gary and Vivienne Player Foundation, and sponsoring the Invitational is another way in which we are able to make a sustainable difference. We are proud to support such a worthy cause that leaves a legacy, contributes to uplifting children and makes a meaningful difference in the greater community.”
