Sir Graham Lowe has spoken out against the involvement of All Blacks in a new alcohol company he says targets young people.
New Zealand rugby stars Damian McKenzie and Anton Lienert-Brown, along with former All Black Stephen Donald, are co-founders of a new RTD brand called Grins.
Like many ofthe recent wave of RTDs to enter the alcohol market, the brand is heavily marketed on social media, while the drinks feature bright colours and tropical flavours.
Lowe, the rugby league legend and former chair of the Ministerial Forum on Alcohol Advertising, says he is "disappointed and surprised" by the players' involvement in the brand, especially considering how many young people look up to the rugby stars and the known harm alcohol can bring.
"I'm very surprised that they've gone into it. I just think it's tacky," Lowe told Newstalk ZB's D'Arcy Waldegrave.
"To be an All Black or a former All Black and to be involved in a campaign that is focused towards young people, I think, quite apart from everything else, is tacky. I'm a bit disappointed and surprised."
Lowe said he was also surprised that the players' employers at New Zealand Rugby allowed them to be involved in a venture like this, both from a moral and contractual perspective.
Anton Lienert-Brown and Damian McKenzie during an All Blacks training session. Photo / Photosport
NZ Rugby is also involved in their own forms of alcohol sponsorships and advertising, with Steinlager being the All Blacks' longest serving sponsor since 1987 according to the beer company's website.
Super Rugby teams like the Highlanders also have their own deals with promoting alcohol brands.
In an interview with the Herald's Spy last year, Donald said the company is aware of their social responsibilities and that NZ Rugby is supportive of people pursuing interests outside of the game.
"We are all very mindful of the need to make sure we are promoting responsible drinking and are confident we will be able to strike the right balance there."
However, the company has already come under fire from an Advertising Standards Authority complaint for promoting unsafe practices around alcohol in a social media ad that showed a person wakeboarding and drinking from the RTD can. The complaint was settled after the social media post was taken down.
Lowe questioned if the "higher ups" at NZ Rugby should increase barriers for players to get into alcoholic business ventures and advertising, but said, ultimately, the issue came down to the individual players who are delving into something that he believes is "wrong".
"I think we've come to a sad place. Surely those men can see and are aware of the harm that this can cause and it should not be up to the governing body or whoever – I'm sure they'll have their own view on it. It shouldn't be up to that, it should be up to us all as individuals.
"We know what harm it can cause. It doesn't cause harm to everybody, but for some it can cause and start off a painful and terrible life. And if these guys aren't aware of that, they're just taking the low hanging fruit, which is what they are [doing]. It's a really tacky stain on their careers.
"They're probably getting paid good money to do it. At the end of the day the dollars overrule what's right and what's wrong. Should young people be exposed to alcohol advertising? No, in my view they shouldn't. There's no grey area. It's either right or it's wrong. I think it's wrong."
