Bottled up tackle leaves ALAC fuming

The North Otago Rugby Club's calendar has opened up a whole lotta trouble with ALAC. Photo / Thinkstock

The North Otago Rugby Union's strategic use of beer bottles to hide their tackle in a nude calendar has drawn criticism from an alcohol advisory body.

The Alcohol Advisory Council (Alac) said the prominence given to the alcohol makes the calendar look more like an alcohol promotion than a fundraiser for junior rugby, The Otago Daily Times reported.

The fundraising initiative is the brainchild of North Otago's first five-eighth Ben Patston, who discounted Alac's claim the calendar glorifies alcohol.

"Not at all. Obviously, the front cover may portray it slightly with the Speight's bottles on there.

"They [Speight's] are one of our sponsors. We thought it would be harsh not to have them on there."

He said the calendar had helped attract 13 new sponsors and had been embraced by the players and much of the community.

"The people in Oamaru seem to enjoy it. They're buying calendars. We've sold the majority of our distribution so far and, by the looks of the publicity, we might have to get some more in.

Alac chief executive officer Gerard Vaughan said, "I appreciate the club sees the calendar as a good way to raise money for junior sport, but I believe these sort of activities, which are in essence alcohol promotions, need to be properly thought through."

- NZPA