No-sex plan risks groans of displeasure from All Black fans

NEW ZEALAND rugby fans have been urged to abstain from sex to help the national All Blacks win the World Cup, which kicks off next month in Auckland.

It is all part of an advertising campaign to start next week on the official All Blacks’ website, sponsored by Telecom New Zealand.

Fans who sign up for the “Abstain for the All Blacks” campaign will receive black rubber finger-rings to show their support for the national side during the six-week cup series. Posters with the slogan, “Touch, pause and don’t engage” are set to appear in bus shelters, but plans were ditched to place signs above urinals in bars and restaurants urging men to “Think of your mum in a bikini — Abstain for the All Blacks.”

The New Zealand Rugby Union has endorsed Telecom’s BackingBlack campaign as the All Blacks’ official fan club.

The NZRU’s commercial manager, Paul Dalton, told the Herald: “We expect this to be entertaining and get people talking.”

However, Prime Minister John Key yesterday said the campaign was "living proof that not every advertising dollar is worth the money it's spent on". On Facebook, a "Banging for Black" campaign sprung up in competition to Telecom's official All Blacks fan page, BackingBlack.

Telecom spokesman Mark Watts denied rumours that All Black coach Graham Henry had been reluctant about the campaign.

"Henry was shown the campaign material and admired it. But he didn't need any distractions from actually winning the cup."