Volume 189 - Issue 7
KFC sponsorship of cricket
Author: Peter Young
Med J Aust 2008; 189 (7): 415-416. || doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.2008.tb02106.x
Published online: 6 October 2008
Published online: 6 October 2008
In reply: Cricket Australia (CA) actively supports physical activity, healthy eating and healthy lifestyles and continues to invest considerable effort in encouraging Australians to play cricket, in everything from formal, organised competitions to social games in the backyard, in parks and schoolyards and at the beach. In a time of declining community physical activity, we are heartened to see that active participation in cricket is growing strongly, and note that female cricket is the fastest growing female sport in Australia.
As a community-based, not-for-profit organisation, we are heavily dependent on the support of all of our sponsors, including KFC, to be able to implement the activities we undertake. These range from community-based programs that get kids running around outside to programs in schools, clubs and Indigenous communities, and further activity needed to develop and put elite international cricketers onto the field.
In relation to KFC, we believe in a little of everything and everything in moderation.
Setting aside the truly elite athletes, the formula that is going to work best for most cricketers and cricket fans is reasonable, not extreme, training and physical activity, together with a balanced diet, not one that features total abstinence from high-energy foods. Our view on alcohol is the same. Our CA advertising featuring Merv Hughes encourages fans to enjoy a beer, but not at the rate of one per over.
The overall issue is about balance. Consumer research — commercially confidential, so it can’t be referenced here — shows that KFC consumption in Australia is an occasional treat, not a dietary staple.
More broadly, CA is comfortable that Australian cricket’s collective activity has a net positive impact in encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.