New Zealand: Straight Best Friends Will Marry to Win Trip to 2015 World Cup

Travis McIntosh (L) and Matt McCormick (R)

Travis McIntosh and Matt McCormick, best friends since age 6, will marry tomorrow in order to win a radio station competition and a trip to the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.

The men, however, are not gay or in love. They are simply "best mates" looking to win a contest.

The contest, run by radio station The Edge in New Zealand, looked for the best "bromance" couple to win the trip to next year's World Cup.  According to reports, over two hundred straight same-sex couples entered the contest.

"We are not here to insult anyone. We are here to do our own thing and travel our own path." Mr McIntosh said the wedding was not mocking the institution of marriage.

The choice of McIntosh and McCormick has upset gay organizations across New Zealand:

Otago University Students' Association Queer Support co-ordinator Neill Ballantyne, of Dunedin, said the wedding was an"insult" because marriage equality was a"hard fought" battle for gay people.

"Something like this trivialises what we fought for." The competition promoted the marriage of two men as something negative,"as something outrageous that you'd never consider", Mr Ballantyne said.

LegaliseLove Aotearoa Wellington co-chairman Joseph Habgood said the competition attacked the legitimacy of same-sex marriages.

"The point of this competition is that men marrying each other is still something they think is worth having a laugh at ...