Williams' collar cover-up does society 'favour'

Sonny Bill Williams has ''done us a favour'' by drawing attention to wider moral issues about money lending when he covered over the BNZ logo on his Blues jersey.

University of Otago academic Prof Greg Dawes made that comment last night after Williams put tape over a logo on his playing jersey during Saturday night's Super Rugby match against the Highlanders in Dunedin.

Williams had only been back on the field at Forsyth Barr Stadium for a matter of minutes before creating a social media stir by covering up the logo on his jersey's collar, apparently with medical tape.

The move is being seen as a religious stand.

Prof Dawes is based in the university's philosophy department but also teaches religious studies in the department of theology and religion.

Williams tweeted yesterday to his 626,000 Twitter followers that he would explain his actions this week.

Williams has played and trained before with bank logos on his jersey.

Prof Dawes said Muslim traditionalists had long held concerns about lending money for interest and there were similar concerns in Christianity and Judaism.

He noted All Black flanker Michael Jones had made a stand on Christian religious grounds by refusing to play on Sundays.

It was ''fascinating'' how quickly religion and spirituality entered the public sphere even in a secular society.

Prof Dawes said there were general moral issues about lending at high interest rates, and growing concerns about ''loan sharks'' causing problems outside the formal banking sector.

Williams had done fellow New Zealanders a ''favour'' by highlighting the wider issues.

A BNZ spokeswoman said the matter was between Williams and the Blues.

''He's entitled to have religious beliefs and customs around that, and it's really between him and the Blues as to how that manifests itself. So we have no issue with it.''

The Blues are to meet Williams and his agent, Khoder Nasser.

Williams became a Muslim in 2009.

NZME has reported that a New Zealand Rugby spokesman said Williams had lodged a conscientious objection. Any player could lodge such an objection to promoting finance companies, alcohol, tobacco, gambling companies and banks.

Some other players are understood to have had issues with fast-food company KFC, and have not had to appear in advertisements.

Super rugby is sponsored by Investec, an international banking and asset management group, whose name appears on SBW's sleeve logo.

And AIG, a United States multinational insurance corporation, is a primary All Black sponsor.