adidas sends fans to prison

Sportswear giant adidas has launched a new rugby jersey for the Lions tour — complete with “battleground co-ordinates” of the matchday venues. But in an epic marketing fail the co-ordinates on the Blues’ jersey match to Mt Eden Prison instead of Eden Park where the Tana Umaga-coached team will play the Lions on June 7.

The co-ordinates, proudly displayed on the sleeves, are also wrong for other Super Rugby franchises.

The Hurricanes’ jerseys take you to the Wellington Botanical Gardens, not Westpac Stadium.

The Crusaders’ sleeves lead to an address on Eversleigh St in suburban St Albans in Christchurch, not AMI Stadium, and the Highlanders’ digits go to a forested part of Dunedin called Bethune’s Gully, not Forsyth Barr Stadium.

Meanwhile, the Chiefs’ coordinates go to Waikato University, not Hamilton’s FMG Stadium.

The discrepancy was first noted by Twitter user Master Grassonist.

When the jerseys were released, senior director of adidas Rugby Simon Cartwright said each jersey was a visual representation of the teams’ pride in their region.

“It’s a big year for rugby in New Zealand with the return of the Lions,” Cartwright said. “So we want to arm all teams with everything they need to defend their territories.

“What has become very clear to us in our conversations with team leaders is that losing this battle is not an option.”

The British and Irish Lions tour New Zealand in June and July. The tour will see the visitors play 10 rugby union matches.

The jerseys retail for $110 for kids’ sizes and $150 for adults.