$10,000 mural of Kiwis coach David Kidwell to last longer than his role did

The $10,000 mural of former Kiwis coach David Kidwell in Christchurch will remain until at least October. Photo / StarKiwi

For $10,000 you could get a mural of former Kiwis coach David Kidwell.

Or, for just over $8000 you could get one of British pop star Ed Sheeran.

Which would you prefer?

ChristchurchNZ has revealed the cost of commissioning Bay of Plenty artist Graham Hoete, known as Mr G, to do the Kidwell mural on a Lichfield St building before the Kiwis' disastrous Rugby League World Cup campaign began in October.

The ratepayer-funded organisation paid $10,000 for the work, which was created to celebrate Christchurch's sporting roots with Kidwell, a former Kiwi, having grown up here.

While ChristchurchNZ says it was money well spent, others are not so sure.

City councillor Glenn Livingstone said while he saw what ChristchurchNZ was trying to do, the mural was a bit premature.

"I guess ChristchurchNZ thought they were backing a winner."

He said sport was unpredictable, whereas the Sheeran concerts were almost guaranteed to be successful.

The city council funds ChristchurchNZ.

City councillor Deon Swiggs said he did not know who Kidwell was.

"For some people they mean something and for other people they mean nothing."

He would have preferred it was done by a local artist, which would have made it cheaper.

The Ed Sheeran mural in Dunedin cost less than that of David Kidwell. Photo / Getty Images

Meanwhile, ratepayer-funded Enterprise Dunedin spent $8350 commissioning Tyler Kennedy-Stent to paint a mural of Sheeran on a building to mark his visit last month, sparking criticism.

Sheeran's three sold-out concerts at Forsyth Barr Stadium over Easter brought an estimated 68,000 people to Dunedin, with an economic benefit of $34 million.

A third of the tickets were sold in Christchurch.

AMI Stadium hosted the Tonga v Lebanon quarter-final and a Kiwis v Scotland pool match during the World Cup, bringing in an estimated $3.75 million and 6383 visitors.

The Kiwis failed to make the semi-finals after losses to Tonga in pool play and Fiji in the quarter final.

But ChristchurchNZ attraction general manager Linda Falwasser said the mural was worth it.

"The mural received considerable local and national media coverage."

It will remain until at least October as agreed with the building's landlord, she said.

Kidwell did not to reapply for the Kiwis coaching job after an independent review found multiple failures in the world cup campaign.

- Starkiwi