Netball: Good keen bloke miffed over Silver Ferns dance routine

Good keen man Tim Berry has returned from the Silver Ferns netball cheerleading audition in Wellington claiming "it was all a scam" - a claim denied by the organisers.

Berry, a Marton sales assistant and volunteer fireman, said he went to the audition thinking he was in with a chance, because the advertisement was looking for blokes rather than dancers.

"But it became obvious pretty quickly they were going to choose the professional dancers. They came with the proper dancing shoes and everything," he said.

"The 20 of us blokes were just in jeans and sneakers."

Calling himself Tim "Rural" Berry and wearing a cowboy outfit to go with the name, the man who had to face the jibes of his fellow firefighters also took along his guitar.

Others had prepared haka and songs to show what they could do.

"But the choreographer eventually told us they were looking for professional dancers.

"That's what he implied, and that's what he said," Berry said.

"I think it was just a big scam to get publicity. They talked about real sweaty Kiwi blokes, but they didn't really want us. It was just to get on television.

"I don't want to be a sore loser or anything, but I don't think any blokes are going to get in.

"We all talked about it afterward and thought it was a bit of a have."

Berry's comments were backed by another contestant, forestry worker Dean Eades, of Ohakune.

He wants compensation "for the time I wasted in going down there."

"It was just a jack-up.

"We all thought they wanted people to zoom around the crowd, making sure they had a good time and do a bit of dancing.

"But it became clear about halfway through they just wanted professional dancers.

"It was funny how some of the guys, who weren't even in the room when we were taught the routine, picked it up straight away on the first go.

"And they knew the choreographer."

Eades said he had been trying to get in touch with the organisers to discuss the audition.

"I'm pretty mad about it. It cost me a lot of money going down there for that."

The flyer for the audition, under the heading "Behind Every Vodafone Silver Fern is a Big Sweaty Bloke," said organisers were looking for "eight energetic blokes" to join the team.

The men had to be over 18, enjoy netball and "have a hankering to shake their booty in public."

The sponsorship manager for Vodafone, Lynley Kirk-Smith, said three of the nine finalists in Wellington had no dance experience, and the organisers were impressed with the quality of performers.

"We are really grateful to the people that came forward. They all showed exceptional bravery and talent," she said.

Everyone had been in with a chance.

The cheerleading team will be announced next week.

- NZPA