Reggie the Rabbit is in the dock. Here are ten other mascots who crossed the line

Ah, barbeque sauce – tomato sauce’s zestier, saltier younger brother. In true little-sibling-posing-for-a-family-photo style, a man-sized MasterFoods barbecue sauce bottle – one of two Central Coast Mariners mascots – was pictured flipping the bird in response to chants of “Who are ya?” from Newcastle Jets away fans after a 5-1 thrashing in 2017. While his tomato ketchup bottle sidekick wasn’t much better behaved, the incident saw the barbecue sauce bottle receive a formal warning. “The MasterFoods barbecue sauce bottle mascot has been given a yellow card,” the company said in an official statement at the time.

Olympia the Eagle

Never to be outdone in the fervour of their support, the ultras at Serie A side Lazio have done away with the styrofoam stylings of other mascots in favour of a live Alaskan Golden Eagle. But Olympia, who has a wingspan of more than two metres, has not performed her customary pre-match flight around Rome’s Stadio Olimpico since January, after her handler, Juan Bernabe, was sacked by the club for posting the results of his penile prosthesis surgery to social media. The 56-year-old, who has also spoken about his far-right politics, was previously suspended for performing a fascist salute at a 2021 match.

Cyril the Swan v Zampa the Lion

The Swansea and Millwall soccer mascots had history before a bust-up at half-time of a match in 2001. After kicking a ball at a Millwall player during a 1998 FA Cup match and colliding with a Norwich player in a separate incident, Cyril’s indiscretions prompted English soccer authorities to introduce of a code of conduct for mascots. Despite the fearsome reputation of Millwall’s fans, Zampa was not known for being a fighter and came off worse when a punch-up erupted between the mascots. Cyril dodged a blow before deftly decapitating his opponent with an uppercut, proceeding to drop-kick Zampa’s oversized head into the crowd.

Sparky the Eel

Mascots are weird, right? There’s something chilling about the lifeless eyes, the oversized grins, and the thought that deep beneath layers of foam and latex, a human lurks. A 2024 story involving Parramatta Eels mascot Sparky – best known for pretending to make out with his mascot girlfriend Sparkles – was equally strange. The club lodged a formal complaint in June last year after alleging a Fox Sports cameraman had mistreated Sparkles during a game. Venues NSW was also investigating, but almost a year later, details remain mysteriously scarce.

Wolfie

“Little pig, little pig, let me come in…“

The organisers of a 1998 English first division match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Bristol City probably imagined something just as cute and child-friendly as the nursery rhyme when they put on a half-time penalty shoot-out mascot between Wolves mascot Wolfie and three pigs representing a local double glazing firm. As this age-restricted YouTube clip shows, the fun atmosphere quickly dissipated, with Wolfie taking a swing at one of the pigs, who returned the favour. Wolfie, huffing and puffing, was escorted off by security.

Phillie Phanatic

Perhaps sport’s most infamous and enthusiastic mascot, the Phanatic has a checkered past. He has been the subject of numerous lawsuits, ranging from the upsetting – a pregnant woman sued him in 1993 alleging he had kicked her in the back – to the absurd – in 2018, a woman claimed she was injured by a hot dog fired by the Phanatic from a cannon. In 1988, LA Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda got his own back, tossing the Phanatic to the ground after the big green bird had a little too much fun playing with a Lasorda-shaped doll.

Brumby Jack

Being a mascot is a careful balancing act to sustain the illusion that an actor is not a man, no, but an anthropomorphised horse wearing full rugby kit. An 2014 Anzac Day clash between the Brumbies and Chiefs saw the fourth wall well and truly broken, as the ACT’s beloved equine mascot Brumby Jack fell to his hands and knees, lifting his horse’s head to empty his stomach onto the side of the field. The vomiting incident, which saw Jack temporarily banned from the sidelines, and our old friend Tah Man weigh in, later turned out to be an elaborate stunt by comedian Dayne Rathbone, brother of Brumbies centre Clyde.

Tommy “Thunda” Power

The Reggie the Rabbit probe was launched after the mother of the child involved posted on social media claiming Gallico had assaulted her son. But sometimes the glove is on the other – er – hand when it comes to bad fan interactions. During a heated South Australian showdown in August last year, Port Adelaide mascot Tommy “Thunda” Power was allegedly punched in the head by a teenager, believed to be an Adelaide Crows fan, one of many anti-social incidents reported that evening.