Altron Document Solutions is backing South Africa’s Deaf Rugby Sevens team, providing support for talented athletes to compete at the 2026 World Championships in Tokyo.
The company, through the Xerox brand, has partnered with the South African Deaf Rugby Association (SADRA) to support Team South Africa’s participation in the World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships from 31 October to 3 November.
The partnership provides another platform for deaf and hard-of-hearing athletes to compete internationally while supporting SADRA’s broader work to develop sustainable pathways within South African sport.
South Africa heads to Tokyo with international experience behind it after finishing fourth at the 2023 World Deaf Rugby Sevens Championships in Argentina.
Coach Roelof Kotze said the experience gained over the past three years has changed the team significantly.
“We’ve had three years to prepare for this moment, and we’re going to Japan as a very different team from the one that arrived in Argentina in 2023,” said Kotze.
“Since then, we’ve trained, grown as a team, and hosted another international tournament on home soil in 2024. For some of our players, Japan will now be their third international tournament, and that experience is invaluable.”
Team captain Marnus Dercksen will lead a squad including Riemerd Spreeth, Johan Liebenberg, Enrico Abrahams, Admar Claassen, Lucien Famer, Rodwin Beyers, Leon Willemans, Marchello Petro, Patrick Motothwa, Boitshepo Motlhala and Gregory Adelaar.
The South Africans are expected to face teams from Australia, Fiji, England, Japan, Ghana, Italy, New Zealand, Zimbabwe, Samoa and Wales, alongside an international Barbarians side.
Players compete without hearing aids or cochlear implants on the field, making visual communication, positioning, spatial awareness and trust between teammates important elements of the game.
Many of the South African players also compete regularly for hearing rugby clubs, giving them continued exposure to competitive rugby.
For Altron Document Solutions, the sponsorship is centred on ensuring sporting talent has access to the resources and opportunities required to progress.
“When you watch our South African Deaf Rugby players compete, what strikes you isn’t what they can’t do; it’s the absolute commitment, the skill, the hunger to compete on the world stage, and the way they read the game differently,” said Altron Document Solutions Managing Director Yolanden Moodley.
“These athletes deserve to be there in Tokyo; they’ve earned it.”
The partnership extends Xerox’s involvement in South African rugby, which has included support ranging from grassroots development to national-level sport.
SADRA Vice President Lauren Terras said the organisation is also working to challenge perceptions about deaf athletes by focusing on their capabilities.
“Our players have an exceptional awareness of movement, positioning, and opportunity, and that is something we believe gives them a unique advantage in how they approach the game,” said Terras.
Beyond Tokyo, SADRA wants to create stronger and more sustainable opportunities for deaf and hard-of-hearing players to develop, compete and ultimately represent their country.
The partnership with Altron Document Solutions supports that objective while giving Team South Africa another opportunity to demonstrate what greater inclusion and access can unlock for talented athletes.
