Auckland’s star UFC outfit City Kickboxing is taking on New Zealand Rugby (NZR) over the right of its fighters to wear the silver fern.
City Kickboxing coach Eugene Bareman has told a press conference in Auckland that his fighters have as much right to wear the silver fern as the All Blacks do.
“The UFC is stopping us from using the silver fern because they have been contacted by the All Blacks and asked not to use it because it has been trademarked,”’ said Bareman, as his star fighter Israel Adesanya was displaying photos of Richie McCaw wearing the silver fern and then photos of UFC fighters.
“We represent our country with pride. No one owns the silver fern.”
The source of the dispute appears to stem from copyright issues.
Bareman said he understood there were some issues over the silver fern use.
“But nobody owns that symbol. Everybody who represents our country internationally earns the right, especially my guys, and obviously I’m biased, to represent their country and where that symbol.
“It’s a symbol of national pride and of national importance.”
Adesanya, who fights recently crowned UFC light heavyweight champ Jan Blachowicz in UFC 259 on March 6, showed photos of McCaw as Bareman talked.
“Here he [McCaw] is again, the great man himself, bloody and bruised in battle, representing our country like he always has as captain from a very young man.
“Look, here’s some of our guys, doing the same thing,” as Adesanya showed photos of City Kickboxing’s own fighters. “It’s probably worse, wouldn’t you agree? Here’s one of them in hospital straight after the fight.
“Here’s us, being proud of our country, we’re proud to represent our country, and every opportunity we get, we try and represent our country.
“The UFC called me up and said we’re changing the symbol. They said ‘how it’s going, Eugene?’ It’s a great day, we’re just going to change that symbol on your sleeves that you wear out to battle’.
“We wear it on our uniform, we wear it with great pride, and it doesn’t matter whether you were born in Nigeria or Samoa, it doesn’t matter where you come from.
“It’s very important to us. It’s something that we represent.”
Bareman said rugby bosses would need to contact him if they had issues.
“The All Blacks need to contact me if we’re in some sort of breach [of trademark or copyright] and talk it out with us to figure this out.
“But you’re not going to stop us from wearing the silver fern,” he said.
“The All Blacks don’t own the silver fern, they cannot stop us from wearing it, we’re going to wear it regardless.
“Richie McCaw could walk in here today with his band of lawyers, and try and stop us, and I would like to see him try.
“It’s not going to happen.”
Bareman is the trainer for boxer Junior Fa, who fights Joseph Parker in the bout of the Kiwi heavyweights at Spark Arena on Saturday.
NZR has been contacted for comment.
