Time to Change the Score: Rugby meets Drowning Prevention

As the roar of the crowd fills the Sky Stadium in Wellington this weekend, millions around the world will watch the Springboks and All Blacks battle for pride and glory. Behind the rivalry, however, a different battle is unfolding.

Far from the crowds and stadium lights, the silent tragedy of drowning is playing out. It happens every day, across the world and without discrimination.

In a world where rugby does so much to unite people around social issues, the National Sea Rescue Institute (NSRI) is working to deliver an urgent message to unite people around drowning prevention.

The NSRI’s “Change the Score” campaign will be broadcast on pitch-side LED boards throughout the Wellington match on Saturday, 13 September, and aims to confront this silent killer that affects families on all sides of the rugby divide.

Drowning Has Touched Us All

Although fierce rivals on the field, South Africans and New Zealanders share the pain of lives lost to drowning. 

Among them is Springbok prop and World Cup winner Jannie du Plessis and his wife Ronel, whose 10-month-old son, Jan-Nathaniël, drowned at home in 2021. 

This story, and countless others, remind us that drowning does not discriminate.

Time to  Change the Score - Together

According to the World Health Organisation, more than 66,000 people drown in Africa each year, the vast majority needlessly.

“During the rugby match, up to 11 people will drown in Africa. That’s half a rugby squad, gone without a sound,” says Mike Vonk, NSRI CEO.

“While we cheer for tries, somewhere another family is experiencing a silent tragedy. We have to change that score.”

Using Rugby’s Power for Good

“Rugby is more than a game in South Africa,” says Vonk. “It unites South Africans behind important issues and is a voice for change”

This campaign transforms a global sporting stage into a platform for drowning prevention. It turns passion into action.

Drowning Is Preventable

In 2024 alone, the NSRI:

• Delivered 877,485 water safety lessons
• Taught 25,000 survival swimming lessons in under-resourced communities

“Anyone can drown. But with the right knowledge, skills, and access to rescue services, no one should,” says Vonk.

The NSRI’s close relationship with Drowning Prevention Auckland and Water Safety New Zealand reinforces this mission. The Pink Rescue Buoys, pioneered by the NSRI, have been adopted by our Kiwi counterparts in Auckland, proof that, across oceans and rivalries, collaboration saves lives.

How You Can Help

South Africans at home and abroad are urged to help change the score:

• SMS your name to 32287 to pledge your support. You could win a big-screen TV or a Fieldbar hamper. (SA only).
• Living abroad? Support the NSRI via: nsri.org.za/rugby or the GivenGain campaign: You've gone Global but your Heart's still Local!

Every name and every donation helps us to change the score.

Let’s turn every try into a triumph over drowning.