CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — South Africa’s World Cup organizing committee has persuaded rugby officials to remove on-field advertising logos to avoid damaging the fields.
The South African Rugby Union said Friday it had received a request from the local organizing committee to remove the logos because of concerns about damaging the grass at World Cup venues.
SARU said the on-field ads for the rugby competition would be removed and digitally projected onto television. The painted-on ads will be taken off fields at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park and World Cup stadiums in Pretoria and Bloemfontein.
Three of South Africa’s 10 World Cup venues are in rugby stadiums. The World Cup starts June 11.
