New Name For Sports Awards

14 December, 2000
Media Release From ALAC

From next year the national sports awards will have a new name – the Say When Sports Awards of New Zealand. The Alcohol Advisory Council (ALAC) today announced the name change for the
sports awards and said that it was extending its sponsorship of the awards for a further 5 years.

Dr Mike MacAvoy, ALAC’s Chief Executive, said although there had been some positive changes in recent years, there was still a significant amount of heavy drinking associated with sport. “We believe the awards, which recognise excellence in sport, are an excellent vehicle to promote the concept of moderation, which is what Say When is all about.”

The awards, which are organised by the Halberg Trust, include the New Zealand Sportsman, Sportswoman and Sports Team of the year, and are presented at a sports star-studded dinner. The event raises money to help young people with disabilities become involved in sport. Possible candidates for the next awards to be held on February 15, 2001 include gold medallist Rob Waddell, Leilani Joyce and Team New Zealand.

The brand, Say When, was originally used by ALAC in the 1980s when it ran a series of television advertisements exhorting New Zealanders to drink in moderation. The sports awards were previously known as the ALAC Sports Awards of New Zealand.

“It was our view that we needed a brand name that could work harder for us so we decided to dust off Say When and see if it still had legs,” said Dr MacAvoy. “The high level of recall we found among the public - even those who would have been quite young when the brand was last out there - amazed us. People automatically put their hands over their glasses when the brand was mentioned.”

As well as the sponsorship of the awards and related advertising, ALAC will be doing its best to educate sports people about the effects of alcohol on sporting performance and to encourage improved Host Responsibility in sports clubs.

“The crazy thing is that excessive drinking runs counter to success in the sports arena yet heavy drinking is often associated with sport,” Dr MacAvoy said.

“We are not suggesting that those who want to succeed in their sport need to swear off alcohol, but having more than a few drinks is very likely to make a difference to their performance. The critical thing is to Say When,” said Dr MacAvoy.

For further information and comment:

Dr Mike MacAvoy Jennifer Harris
Chief Executive Officer Manager Communications
Alcohol Advisory Council of NZ Alcohol Advisory Council of NZ
Ph: 04 472 0997 Ph: 04 472 0997
Home: 04 477 2181 Home: 04 472 6600
Mobile: 021 549 848 Mobile: 021 500029
j.harris@alac.org.nz

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