KEY POINTS:
Coca-Cola says the man who spearheaded a new "healthy lifestyle" sponsorship change at nine rugby unions around the country twice tried to sew up a beverage deal with them for the same unions.
Most of the nine unions (known as the G9) decided to axe fizzy drinks at their grounds and serve Anchor's milk products, water and juice as part of a health drive (although pies and chips are still available).
As part of the deal, regular milk, reduced fat milk and flavoured milk will be available at union matches instead of fizzy drinks such as Coke, while free milk will also be given to children. However, a Coca-Cola spokesperson said the promoter, Warren Goddard, had also twice tried to interest Coke in the same sponsorship deal.
"I am not sure where this spokesman thing for the G9 unions comes in but Warren Goddard is a promoter who came to us asking if we'd be interested in sponsoring these unions [Northland, North Harbour, Counties Manukau, Bay of Plenty, Hawkes Bay, Taranaki, Manawatu, Tasman and Southland]. We politely declined," said Coca-Cola Amatil corporate affairs manager Aimee Driscoll. "Then he had another go at our sales team - and we said no again. So he's been to us twice with the same deal."
Driscoll said Coke was happy with its sponsorship deal with the All Blacks and was comfortable the "no soft drinks" rule put in place with the G9 sponsorship would not be a problem. Goddard declined to com- ment but stood by the health properties of serving milk ahead of soft drinks like Coke.
