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Trademark confusions leads to brief stoush between City Kickboxing and NZR

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 25 Feb 2021, 6:11PM
Eugene Bareman and Israel Adesanya speak to the media. Photo / Photosport
Eugene Bareman and Israel Adesanya speak to the media. Photo / Photosport

Trademark confusions leads to brief stoush between City Kickboxing and NZR

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Thu, 25 Feb 2021, 6:11PM

A simple mix-up appears to be at the centre of a short-lived stoush between City Kickboxing and New Zealand Rugby.

The gym's co-founder and trainer Eugene Bareman, who trains six UFC fighters including middleweight champion Israel Adesanya at City Kickboxing in Auckland, revealed the UFC had been contacted over trademark issues around the use of the silver fern design that appears on the sleeves of UFC fighters' pre-fight shirts and hoodies.

"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," Bareman alleged.

"The UFC called me up and said we're changing the symbol," Bareman said. "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'.

NZR denied the claims and reached out to City Kickboxing.

One of the gym's trainers Mike Angove told Heather du Plessis-Allan they're still working through the minor details.

"The understanding is there has been miscommunication between some of the people in the UFC and other trademark lawyers dealing with a different issue.

"But it's not related or emanated from the All Blacks."

He said the All Blacks responded very quickly and have been "very gracious" over the situation - and they can now move forward with their logo. 

New Zealand Rugby disputed the claims in a short statement, saying they had not had any contact with the UFC around the use of logos, while a representative of the All Blacks got in touch with City Kickboxing to clear things up after Bareman and Adesanya's comments.

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