The deal will see the DLA Piper logo appear on the South African training and match jerseys throughout the tournament in the Netherlands which is due to take place from May 31 to June 15.

DLA Piper is among the largest law firms in the world with more than 4,200 lawyers located in 30 countries and is headquartered in London and Chicago.

The firm was established following the merger of DLA, Piper Rudnick and Gray Cary in 2005, making it the largest legal merger in the history of the legal profession.

South Africa's Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr joined the DLA Piper Group in 2005 and has offices in Johannesburg and Cape Town and will be active in the deal along with DLA Piper the Netherlands and DLA Piper Germany.

All three nations are set to face each other in Group B at this year's Hockey World Cup and the deal is aimed at maximising exposure through the combined television audience.

"We are delighted with this joint sponsorship with DLA Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr, DLA Piper in the Netherlands and Germany," said co-managing partner of DLA Piper the Netherlands Richard Fens.

"The South African men's team is playing against both the Netherlands and Germany [broadcast live in both countries] and so this sponsorship will attain a significant audience.

"We have great respect for the ambition of the South African men's team, a diverse group from all regions of South Africa with one shared mission - to proudly represent their country and to compete at the highest level of an international sport.

"With this sponsorship we support the team's mission - to head for success on the road to the Rio 2016 Olympics."

The DLA Piper logo will appear on the training and match shirts of the South African team during the Hockey World Cup in The Hague ©AFP/Getty Images



Commenting on the deal, chief executive of the South African Hockey Association, Marissa Langeni said: "The men's team is delighted to welcome DLA Piper and Cliffe Dekker Hofmeyr as World Cup sponsors and will proudly wear the logo of this global law firm on their shirts.

"This sponsorship has allowed us to plan ahead with regards to travelling to the World Cup and to be able to focus on what really matters on match day - playing the best hockey we can and representing our country with pride."

The other three sides in Group B are New Zealand, South Korea and Argentina while defending champions Australia are in Group A along with England, Belgium, India, Spain and Malaysia.

On the women's side, hosts and defending champions the Netherlands will take on Group A opponents Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, Japan and Belgium while Group B is made up of England, Argentina, Germany, China, South Africa and the United States.

A total of 76 matches will be played at this year's Hockey World Cup in The Hague at the GreenFields Stadium and the main Kyocera Stadium.

Contact the writer of this story at [email protected]


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