The Shark Tank is renown for Sharkertainment of the highest order and to be the biggest after-match party in the rugby world. This phenomenon has become renown throughout the rugby playing fraternity and thousands of fans visit The Absa Stadium Durban with the sole intention of being part of the celebrations and experiencing the best rugby party in the world. The hosts of major sporting and entertainment events have a responsibility to highlight the associated pitfalls of excessive alcohol consumption and driving. The issue of alcohol consumption linked to sport is a contentious issue, exacerbated by a never-abating road fatality count. The Sharks are the first-ever rugby and sports union to actively promote responsible entertainment and with it the need to consume alcohol responsibly, including the measures taken to avoid driving if under the influence of alcohol. The Sharks launch their initiative at The Absa Stadium Durban, with a television, radio, electronic communication and print campaign in support of responsible alcohol consumption, to coincide with the start of the 2010 Absa Currie Cup. Drunk driving is known as one of the biggest threats to Road Safety in South Africa, and is a leading cause of road traffic casualties.

Driving under the influence (DUI) of alcohol has been a significant issue worldwide for years. Many developed countries have managed to reduce the problem through a combination of increased social awareness, stringent alcohol limits for motorists and more effective law enforcement initiatives, Yet, in South Africa, the severity of the results of driving whilst under the influence of alcohol remains critical.

Around 13,000 motorists are killed, maimed or seriously injured every year due to drunk driving alone. This comes at the staggering estimated cost to our country of R9 billion per annum.

The Sharks Marketing Manager, Mike Ablett, who has been working on this campaign for the last few months with their agency, The Flagship adds, “Through visuals around the stadium and on the big screen, the campaign aims to further increase awareness of driving under the influence. The campaign will be aired for the first time on Friday 16 July, on the SuperSport 2 channel at 19h00. In addition it will be supported through radio adverts and our Sharks website – sharksrugby.co.za. We believe this will go a long way to promoting an understanding of what responsible drinking means and how important it is to have a sober, dedicated driver to take you home after the game.

"We want our supporters to appreciate the seriousness of our concerns and the ramifications of irresponsible alcohol consumption. It does not mean that we are saying you must not have a good time. It just means you should do so responsibly and predict and plan your way home afterwards,” he concludes.

Sharks CEO, Brian van Zyl elaborated, “We share the public concerns of alcohol abuse and driving under the influence, so we are committed to delivering a positive message encouraging all our supporters to support The Sharks responsibly. The ad campaign is a simple, single-minded, hard-hitting message encouraging supporters to know where to draw the line on drinking. The consequence of noncompliance is evident to all who see or hear the message.”

“The Sharks have partnered with Good Fellas, in an initiative to get our supporters home safely. As a Good Fellas member, you may call for a personal chauffer to drive you home in your own car, allowing you to enjoy yourself responsibly. With Good Fellas, you can still enjoy the game, but do the right thing by taking the responsible and “smart way home”.

Please support The Sharks Responsibly.

For more details on how you can sign up with Good Fellas, please visit their website at www.gfellas.co.za, or contact them on: +27 (0)41 581 1362 or 0861 433 552