Blackheart aims to be white knight

By JULIE ASH

The controversial Blackheart campaign kicked off in Auckland yesterday with high-profile support.

Squash legend Dame Susan Devoy, former All Blacks Va'aiga Tuigamala, Stu Wilson and Waka Nathan, former National Party president Michelle Boag and New Zealand First leader Winston Peters were among the invited guests.

As Team New Zealand's signature song, Dave Dobbyn's Loyal, faded away, Blackheart spokesman Dave Walden said the campaign's aim was to rouse support for Team New Zealand.

"We want Team New Zealand to know there are a lot of people behind them," he said. "This is a positive campaign about getting in behind Team New Zealand and giving people an opportunity to show their support for the team."

He warned the support might include "digs at the other teams".

"Blackheart will be a group of people who are pro-Team New Zealand and passionately for the America's Cup to remain in our country," Walden told his audience.

"If that upsets some other New Zealanders, who have put money before their country, then I say good, because they have chosen to be our competitors."

He said the campaign grew out of concern that New Zealanders were not confronting what losing the America's Cup would mean.

Former All Black Stu Wilson said Blackheart was not a smear campaign against former Team New Zealand sailors Russell Coutts and Brad Butterworth, now with the Swiss syndicate Alinghi.

"I have no bones with them - they are the opposition now.

"This is not against Russell and Brad. We still play golf with them.

"But when it comes to the cup, it is 'sorry, boys'. Who cares if we are one-eyed?"

Sports commentator Murray Deaker said the Blackheart campaign was more than supporting Team New Zealand.

"It is about giving Team New Zealand a home-town advantage. That should be the slogan more than staunch and true," he said.

"Why, just because there are New Zealanders in other syndicates, should we be backing them?

"Some of them have been invited to speak at Rotary clubs. That is ridiculous.

"Their sole objective is to take the cup away from us. My choice is to back my team. I am totally in support of Team New Zealand and totally opposed to all of them.

"It is unusual for people in New Zealand to say, 'We stand for this'.

"I am not going to go soft on this issue. I am certainly not going to act like a journalist in this. I am going to act emotionally and act like a staunch Kiwi."

nzherald.co.nz/americascup