Paddy Power removes rude rugby advert

Paddy Power’s Australian subsidiary Sportsbet has acceded to the threats from the Victorian provincial government and painted over its amusing but rather rude Wallabies vs. Lions advert.

Sportsbet said it will cost A$20,000 to paint over the 170m x 90m “Rooting for the Wallabies” advert, painted onto a field on the approaches to Melbourne airport on the run-up to a rugby test match, but it has achieved publicity coverage worth many times more than that as the mural caught the imagination of the media and was widely publicised.

Last week the Victorian government ordered Sportsbet to expunge the advert, threatening to take legal action against the company because it was painted on Parks Victoria land – allegedly without permission.

Provincial planning minister Matthew Guy had this to say about the ad: “At the end of the day I don’t expect international visitors to see that image when they’re coming into this city, and I’d expect it to be removed as soon as possible. If they don’t expect that, or don’t want it to be the case, then we’ll take court action. I want it removed. It’s not appropriate.”

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