Queanbeyan rugby coach takes bronze at Australia's 'Most Ordinary Rig' competition

Zac Jerrim, a 26-year-old rugby coach for the Queanbeyan Colts, has done us proud – we’re now home to Australia’s third ‘Most Ordinary Rig’.

Zac donned a colourful pair of budgie smugglers and a homemade pair of Macca’s fries ‘wings’ at the ‘Victoria’s Secrets meets Miss World’-style competition over the weekend.

He proudly paraded alongside nine other blokes in similar (lack of) garb at the Ivy Pool Bar in Sydney.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been as nervous about something I’m about to do in my whole life,” he says.

“But in terms of fun, it was probably one of the best days I’ve ever had. And everyone was getting around it – no one was afraid to walk around in their budgie smugglers.”

‘Australia’s Most Ordinary Rig’ is an annual competition hosted by Australian swimwear company Budgy Smuggler.

In exchange for posting a photo of themselves in the scanty swimmers to social media and tagging the company, entrants vie for not only the title but also $10,000 in cash (half to pocket, half for a chosen community sports club or charity), automatic entry into the ‘World’s Most Ordinary Rig’ competition, and a billboard in their hometown that reads, ‘Welcome to [hometown name], Home of Australia’s Most Ordinary Rig’.

There are some conditions.

Entrants must “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.”

For Zac, who describes himself as “chunky but funky” with a love for “eating burgers, rugby, camping, and smuggling”, his journey to ordinary began when he and his wife, Charlotte Jerrim, found themselves on the beach in Noosa.

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

A photo was snapped and posted, and 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” were told to prepare for the gala evening in Sydney where they would be judged on their ‘rigs’.

They also had to create a video of themselves, which would be shared on the Budgy Smuggler Instagram page in the lead-up to the event. The number of likes accounted for 20 per cent of the final casting vote.

Then there was the secret talent with which to woo the crowd. Zac went for balloon animals, which took him all of 10 minutes to perfect.

“I learned how to make a dog and flower out of balloons in the weeks leading up to the event, but then on the day, two of the balloons popped on me. But I did end up finishing one and presenting it to the Ivy Pool Bar owner’s wife, so I think it all worked out well.”

However, at the end of the day, the ‘Most Ordinary Rig’ competition has a serious side – men’s mental health and body confidence. It was founded in 2015 as a reaction to teenage boys feeling the need to “get so ripped for schoolies”. Budgy Smuggler says the “same body image issues that have faced women for a long time were now impacting men”. Accordingly, a $5000 cheque was presented to the Black Dog Institute on the day.

Zac says it met the brief.

“I’ve never been that comfortable or confident in myself around other people, but for this event, 300 people were going to watch me in my budgie smugglers – it’s pretty confronting. A couple of beers helped, but I’ve never felt more comfortable.”

For someone who began thinking he wouldn’t even stand a chance, Zac is chuffed with the bronze result, even if he missed out on having his own billboard. He’s hoping “one of the boys will pull a hamstring next October” so he’ll be able to get into the World’s Most Ordinary Rig.

As for the future, Zac is singular in his vision.

“I’m gonna have to get the mayor of Queanbeyan into a pair of budgie smugglers. Getting Kenrick Winchester in a pair is the next goal.”

We’ll keep you posted.