The name is the game

Press, 31 August 1977, Page 38

The name is the game

The newspaper headline was strident, captivating, and preposterous. It was meant to be all three. It said: “Get a sponsor or die.” It was aimed at sports clubs and sports organisations, but its message might equally have been sighted on cultural bodies.

DERRICK MANSBRIDGE

As is often the case with; such headlines, however, it| did not mean quite what it ; said. “Die” was the emotive [word. It did not necessarily [mean “cease to live.” The [article contended that those | clubs and organisations 'which did not find sponsors would be as good as dead; I that they would have no means of prospering in a [sporting world where advancement is measured in many thousands of dollars. How much fact and how much fiction were contained in the newspaper article?, [Much more fact, unfortuna-; Itely, than fiction. This is not' to say that sport or culture would disappear without) regular money transfusions,) whether from industry or I commerce, governments or supporters’ clubs, lotteries or football pools. What it does say is that an organisation seeking national or international growth will not get either if its does not have a steady income from ian outside source.

Possibly only one sporting and cultural body in New Zealand has an income great enough other than from sponsorship to maintain this I steady growth; and that is rugby. And yet even rugby, with the six-figure income it has from such tours as the present one with the British Lions, finds the need for a colossal sponsorship from Radio New Zealand.

Full details of this sponsorship have not been published, but those in close touch with the sport talk of a benefit to rugby approaching six figures. Ostensibly, Radio New Zealand sponsors the new first and second di-1 vision rugby championship; I but a major part of the deal | has been permission for the 'live televising of the All I Blacks-Lions test matches, and other tour coverage.

If rugby, therefore, with huge crowds, for New Zealand standards at most of the Lions matches, has the need for another source of

income, how much more, necessary must it be to other sports, and to cultural) activities. Take, for example, soccer) — rugby’s closest winter! sports rival. Soccer has grown enormously in numbers in recent years, particularly among its juniors. Yet, on the national level, its organising bodv is as poor

'as a churchmouse. (Poorer, I in fact. It has just appointed ( an official with the undes-[ erved task of wiping out a, $50,000 deficit on the last; World Cup series). Any progress soccer hast made over the last 10 years) would have been minimal! without sponsorships. Roth-) mans has backed the nat-i ional league competition and coaching; New Zealand Breweries has made it possible to have an open draw from ' the quarter-finals for the Lion Chatham Cup; Air New Zealand has financed the p r e-season competition; Broadlands supports the regional competitions: and Coca Cola is putting money [into the youth (under 18) tournament.

Soccer, thus, gets a richer and more varied diet from big business than probably any other single organisation in the country — but, seemingly not enough by a long way to make it viable in today’s high-cost world, if its present financial problems are the proper guage to its success.

Let us look at another sport — one which sits at the opposite end of the pole to soccer, but which has exactly the same financial struggle. It is rowing. Whereas soccer has grown spectacularly at grass-roots level, but has made no impact on the international scene, rowing paddles along with much the same numbers of oarsmen from year

to year, watched by a paltry few from the riverside, yet, has won many of New Zea-; land’s international and[ O’ympic sporting honours in recent years. But where the arcs of soc-| cer’s and rowing's charts; meet are in the debit col-[ umns of their bank balances:: for rowing, too, has lost, thousands of dollars and is l

thousands of more dollars in the red.

Rowing had a sponsor before and during — but not for long after — the last Olympics, in the men’s deodorant, Brut. However, the expenses incurred in gathering together about 20 young men in training, and then taking them round the world, is substantially more than industry or commerce are prepared to give to rowing in this country. Doses of sponsored income are spooned into all sports these days, in a hundred different ways and for ias many different reasons. [Perhaps the company man[ager plays squash: can he be 'persuaded to put up a few (hundreds for a local tournai ment, or much less for an [ advertisement in the associI ation’s programme? Some might sponsor cricket be- : cause it seems the right [ kind of sport for them — (Socially, that is. Or perhaps: [drop a few thousands into [ tennis because televised [tennis is an excellent way to get the firm’s name on TV — via that well-placed poster at the back of the court. With television’s connivance?

We have dealt only with sports, but for rowing read ballet, for rugby read brass bands, for soccer read an exhibition of paintings. And for cricket read the advertisments plastered all over corporation buses. Sponsorship can be seen in very many

disguises. In some sports companies have taken over club anmes (Trans Tours United in national league soccer, for example) and the names of yachts competing in national and international events. Sponsors hand out prizes for outstanding photographs, for newspaper [articles on almost every specialist subject, and are involved in activities ranging from concerts to conducted tours, draughts to aerobatics.

Radio does, at certain times, almost seem to have been taken over by sponsors — whether it be a nationwide brewery behind the racing results (does it mean radio would not give the racing results without the support of a brewery?) to the corner shop sponsoring a local club rugby fixture.

Some organisations, unable to get one large: sponsor, manage to get by ■ on a dozen smaller ones whose contributions, added together, keep a body afloat. And sponsors even appear in bingo halls where, for example, the local outfitters will put up a shirt or a pair of pants for house number 12 if the house is won in 55 numbers or fewer.

“Just give us a plug and that will satisfy us,” says the store owner. But, more likely, he is a member of the organisation which runs the housie and has been stung before for advertisments in the programme or a contribution to the kids’ teams going to Wellington. The scenario for handing over the sponsorship is much the same in every case — the company chairman, the organisation chairman, and, ever so hopefully, a newspaper photographer [and television cameraman. Even then the recipients have to be careful. After one carefully-staged handingover, the sports organisation was asked not to bank “that cheque”; the company would prefer to pay in instalments. It only paid at all in the end, and then not in full, after the passing of solicitors’ letters. Happily for al! concerned, this is an isolated case.

Do the sponsors think it is all worth while Perhaps yes, perhaps no; perhaps they do not know and do

not want to look too deeply into it.

The largest sponsor tn New Zealand, the Rothmans Sports and Cultural Foundation. obviously has studied the question more than any other. It has poured millions into the gaping, insatiab.e mouths of sporting and cultural organisations since the earlv 19605. Colonel Frank Ren .ie. the foundation’s chairman, said in a report: “In general, it is our task to assist and give encouragement to sport and the arts both in this country and in the Pacific Islands with which New Zealand is associated. It provides a stimulating challenge and at the same time a very real satisfaction to those of us who have been given this responsibility.”

Some will sneer at these words. They will say that Rothemans daily undermines the law by sponsoring sports and arts and through them getting the publicity for its products that the law otherwise denies them. Others sav that rapacious sporting and cultural organisations are allowing a lethal product to be fostered on those they are supposed to represent and protect. Largely, the arguements for ' and against sponsorship are fruitless. Those who want and think they need the money will take it from whichever source it is offered — as long as the money comes without strings attached other than for the recipient to obtain as much publicity for the sponsor’s products as is within its power. A company will sponsor its choice of arts or sports (or its managing director’s personal choice) for as long as it is a worthwhile advertising venture -- and for as long as it can lay off the sponsorship, or a great part o> it, against tax.

Meanwhile, the treasurers of clubs and sporting and cultural organisations all over the country pray to their own special gods that the system will long continue. A slow, lingering death, they say, is just as fatal as closing up shop overnight.