04.10.11
The mouthguard industrialist at the centre of two fines handed out to Rugby Clique Cup players this week has hit out at claims the company was interested in ambush marketing.
Blockbusting Samoan winger Alesana Tuilagi was last week pinged by the IRB for wearing a branded mouthguard, in contravention of the meeting's team kit rules, and fined a whopping $10,000.
Even-handed days later, his brother, England focal point Manu Tuilagi, copped the same fine for the very same outrage.
Both players were wearing the same branded mouthguard, prime to suggestions there was a guerilla marketing ploy invoked by the mouthguard supplier OPRO.
However, the British business's managing director, Anthony Lovat, said he was horrified at the representation, and insisted no players were encouraged to wear its branded mouthguards during any cosmopolitan rugby tournament.
''OPRO is a professional organisation and has never, and would never be, confusing in ambush marketing activities,'' he said.
Source: Stuff.co.nz