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WA's major rugby groups have been stripped of thousands of dollars in funding from the State Government's health promotion agency because they are sponsored by fast-food giant McDonald's.
WA Rugby League got a letter from Healthway this month saying it was no longer eligible for funding, believed to be about $60,000 a year, because it accepted McDonald's sponsorship as part of its bid to launch a Perth NRL team, the West Coast Pirates.
It follows Rugby WA losing its funding late last year for accepting sponsorship from McDonald's, which includes a $50 "Macca's voucher" for those signing up as Western Force members.
Healthway, which is funded by tobacco taxes, is increasingly demanding that sporting clubs sever ties with fast-food and alcohol companies, including those promoting "energy-dense" products.
WARL chief executive John Sackson said his organisation had enjoyed a longstanding relationship with Healthway before its funding was scrapped and was now reviewing its options.
"It's quite a significant shortfall and not something we can really afford to go without," he said. "We have to determine which way we go with this, especially if other brands are keen to get on board, or whether we try to renew the partnership with Healthway by getting rid of the apparently offensive brands.
"We have to respect their policy, not that we always agree with them."
Rugby WA would not comment other than to say it was considering submitting a new application.
Healthway chairwoman Rosanna Capolingua said the agency had a legal responsibility to use taxpayers' money to promote a healthy lifestyle and act as an agent for change.
She said when they agreed to sponsorship, clubs signed a binding contract which spelt out the conditions.
McDonald's WA marketing manager Robert Holmes said the company supported elite and grassroots sport to promote the importance of healthy active lifestyles.
"We have shown we are serious about providing a range of menu choices and about improving the nutrition of our food," he said.
Curtin University professor of health policy Mike Daube said it was sad that sports like rugby and rugby league should be promoting junk food.
"They know the deal when they sign up with Healthway, that they can't have conflicting sponsorship," he said.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...out-of-bounds/
The parent bodies of the two Rugby codes have been shafted because of sponsorship provided to elite franchises (one simply to support a bid)
I wonder if the WAFC has copped similar because the sponsors of the two AFL franchises include Hungry Jacks, Four n Twenty and CUB?
"The main difference between playing League and Union is that now I get my hangovers on Monday instead of Sunday - Tom David
Yes, seems stupid when a Big Mac contains
493 calories, 26.9g fat and 958mg of salt when compared to a Mrs Macs
565 calories, 27.6g fat and 1130mg of salt.
I could just imagine taking a bunch of juniors after a game to the Health Food shop for a Tofu wrap and some carrot juice.
Not to mention the Big Bash League in cricket being sponsored by KFC, or the ODIs (?) being sponsored by VB.
The Big Bash league is sponsored by KFC for naming rights, the Perth Scorchers were sponsored by Atlas which was a mining company I believe
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I thought they were a mapping company...
The pickles are healthy ......... dead set
The people love the sh1t.
Where can you drive through to get a mung bean salad on lentil bread with red kidney bean surprise?......and apart from anorexic women with low self esteem, who would eat that sh1te?
Long live the Golden Arches, long live the Force
bring on the next election so we can get rid of the lefty, femmo, lezzo, commo, AWU swindling hypocrites that are mismanaging our country
incarcerate Julia and throw away the key
Rex
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