New step in campaign to fight against sport drugs

Media release – March 20

New step in campaign to fight against drugs in sport being launched tomorrow

Auckland Warriors rugby league star Ali Lauiti’iti tomorrow joins some of the country’s leading sports personalities in helping the New Zealand Sports Drug Agency stamp out drugs in sport.

The agency is launching a nation wide campaign tomorrow using a special video featuring leading players and athletes to highlight the dangers of drugs in sport.

Top sports personalities who took part in making the video will attend the launch and a press conference at Tamaki College’s Recreation Centre at 1pm, tomorrow (March 21).

These include weightlifter Nigel Avery, soccer Kingz’ Harry Ngata, triathlete Hamish Carter, swimmer Dean Kent and Lauiti'iti.

Minister for Sport and Education Trevor Mallard will attend the launch.

Athletes who appear in the video include Silver Ferns netball captain Anna Rowberry, athlete Valerie Adams, powerlifter and paralympian George Taamaru, Ngata, Avery, world rowing champions Caroline and Georgina Evers-Swindell, All Black Kees Meeuws, cyclist Sarah Ulmer, Warriors rugby league stars Monty Betham, Stacey Jones, Wairangi Koopu and Lauiti’iti and also coaches Tab Baldwin and Daniel Anderson.
The agency’s newly appointed chairman Professor Dave Gerrard said the video was a major step forward in ``our education initiatives and will appeal particularly to young athletes’’.

Agency executive director Graeme Steel said the video gave a clear, unequivocal message and provided an upbeat introduction for anti-doping seminars.

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Media advisory: For further information contact New Zealand Sports Drug Agency executive director Graeme Steel 09 521 576, 021 679706 or Kip Brook, Word of Mouth Media NZ 03 374 5426

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