A teacher at one of Christchurch’s top boys’ schools has found a sneaky way to jump on the ‘Up the Wahs’ bandwagon, making a tidy profit by selling counterfeit Warriors merch.
His cheeky Facebook Marketplace ads encourage fans to “join the Wahs Bandwaahgon” by buying his dodgy replica jerseys, which he sells for nearly $90 less than the genuine ones.
The Warriors’ official jersey manufacturer, Dynasty Sport, isn’t thrilled about the situation but is hesitant to come down hard on everyday fans who might not even realise they’re buying fakes.
After all, it’s not technically illegal to purchase a counterfeit jersey for personal use, even if it’s a bit suspect.
However, the company would like to stop the huge operations in China which steal its designs and then churn out cheaper, lower-quality alternatives.
The Christchurch teacher’s side hustle, however, caught the attention of the authorities, leading to an undercover sting operation that put an end to his business venture.
After being snuffed out, the teacher promised to stop selling the knock-offs and has even pledged to donate $2000 to his local rugby league club as a gesture of goodwill.
He expressed “deep regret” for any trouble or loss he might have caused, particularly to the NRL and junior players.
