Queanbeyan rugby coach dons the 'budgies' in running for Australia's Most Ordinary Rig

“Bucket hats & @budgysmuggler name a more iconic duo #OrdinaryRigAus”

It’s the Instagram post that has set a Queanbeyan Colts rugby coach of 10 years on the path to a “Victoria Secrets meets Miss World meets Budgy Smugglers” competition in Sydney later this month.

Zac Jerrim, 26, will don a pair of colourful budgie smugglers and homemade angel wings and parade alongside nine other blokes for the honour of “Australia’s Most Ordinary Rig“.

The annual competition is hosted by the Australian swimwear company, Budgy Smuggler. Entrants simply post a photo of themselves wearing a pair of smugglers and tag the company.

There are some conditions. Entrants should “be good to have beers with, be able to run for a taxi/swing an axe, carry the shopping in one go, and look like they were good at sport at some point but their professional career was cut short by injury or poor coaching selection at a junior age”.

“A six-pack is an automatic disqualification, unless you’re carrying it.”

Zac came across the competition on Instagram and decided to brave the masses and do it, “even though I knew I wouldn’t make it any further”.

He describes himself as “chunky but funky” with a love for “eating burgers, rugby, camping, and smuggling”.

“All the good things.”

He and his wife, Charlotte Jerrim, were in Noosa for a holiday at the start of the most recent school holidays when the moment was captured on camera.

“The weather was perfect and there were about 5000 people on the beach, but I was the only person in budgie smugglers,” he says.

“It’s a beach town, so I thought they’d be everywhere.”

Within two weeks, the team at Budgy Smugglers contacted him to let him know he was in the top ten. Zac and nine other “ordinary rigs” will now attend a gala evening at the Ivy Pool Bar in Sydney on 29 October.

“Essentially it involves us 10 blokes parading around in our budgie smugglers, with some homemade angel wings on our back,” he says.

On top of the glorious title of “Australia’s Most Ordinary Rig”, the winner will also score $10,000 (half to pocket, half for a chosen community sports club or charity), automatic entry into the final of the “World’s Most Ordinary Rig” next October, and a billboard in the winner’s hometown with the words “Welcome to [hometown name], Home of Australia’s Most Ordinary Rig” on it.

But it’s not all just for fun.

“This whole competition is based around men’s mental health and being comfortable in yourself.”

Not surprisingly, Zac is “quite nervous”.

“I was nervous enough posting the photo,” he says.

“But at the same time, people are here to see this, so it’s not a completely random thing. I’m hoping that once we boys get into it, get to know each other and have a couple of beers, it will be OK.”

In the meantime, Zac is perfecting his secret talent with which to woo the crowd. He has also created a video of himself in his budgies to be released on the Budgy Smuggler Instagram page in the lead-up to the event. The number of likes account for 20 per cent of the final casting vote, so he’s keen to share it.

“Everyone has been really supportive of me in my budgies and flaunting it around Canberra and Queanbeyan.”

This also includes Charlotte, who Zac says has grown very well accustomed to his choice of beachwear.

“She took the photo, did all my filming, and she’ll also be helping me get ready at the event. She loves it.”

His advice for other ordinary rigs out there?

“Ditch your boardies – or as we call them, curtains of shame – and free the thighs.”

That, and “never skip cheat meal day, sometimes train it twice”.

Do both and you’re a winner.