Hosea Gear modelled a potential new jersey design, complete with daisies on the collar, during an Otago Community Hospice fundraising event in Dunedin yesterday.
Emma Lovett and Chelsea Taylor won the right to body-paint the winger and chose to turn him into their take on a female rugby player.
"I'm a fan of rugby and he's hot," Emma said of why she got involved.
Gear said "the girls convinced me" to go pink.
Being painted felt "a little bit weird", but it was "for a really good cause so it doesn't matter", he said.
His "jersey" attracted plenty of attention, which only escalated when his lips and cheeks were painted pink and his eyelids blue, and a pink wig, hat and sunglasses were placed on his head.
His team-mate, James Haskell, who had a shark and octopus painted on his top half, said Gear was "getting prettier and prettier" as the event went on.
"If Hosea had a shave and put a dress on, on a night out, I might offer to buy him a drink.
"I think he is looking pretty good," he said.
Haskell enjoyed the experience of being body-painted, saying he "might just wear this out all the time" as he showed off the finished product.
"I just think it's a great idea. So many times you do promos for charities or other people and they are boring. As a player, you want to come in and do something a little bit different."
When asked if he thought his team should consider changing its jersey, he said he would be happy to play in anything.
"As a player, you just don't care; you want to get on the field and play. A kit's a kit.
"I played in Paris for two years and wore a pink jersey, some of the loudest rugby jerseys you're ever likely to see ... it's the biggest-selling jersey, outside the All Blacks jersey, in the world, so if the Highlanders do that, [they] might make a bit of cash."
Chelsea agreed, saying a pink Highlanders uniform "would be better than green".
Hospice marketing co-ordinator Lyn Chapman was pleased with how popular the event was and said the week had gone well so far, with final activities happening tomorrow.
