Battle for the soul of New Zealand rugby after its year of off-field shame | Eleanor Ainge Roy7/31/2018 The sex scandals and violence that have beset Kiwi rugby union in 2016 have led to ever louder calls for a shift in the culture of the national game It has been the best of seasons and the worst of seasons. The All Blacks have charged through on an astonishing winning streak, victorious for 18 Test matches. Some have even heralded the team as the best ever, only brought low last Saturday by a surprise loss to Ireland. But it has also been the worst of times, with New Zealanders devotion to their national sport wavering as disturbing sexual and violent incidents involving players at every level of the game have emerged, steadily souring public opinion. This season, Kiwis loyalty to a sport that can command almost evangelical fervour has been tested, with even the most ardent fans demanding a shake-up to rugby culture in New Zealand. No rugby paddock across Aotearoa hasnt felt incredibly disappointed with the boys this season, and strongly shared the sentiment that weve had enough, former Black Fern and current Labour MP Louisa Hall told the Guardian. It has been a particularly confronting year … and the attitudes and behaviours rugby players have displayed are not reflecting New Zealand society any more, theyve fallen behind. The public tide of opinion first began to turn when an exotic dancer alleged she had been sexually abused by Chiefs players at an end-of-season party in August. The woman, Scarlette, was paid to strip and nothing more. But according to her, thats not what happened. Instead, she told New Zealand media that players licked, groped and threw gravel at her while she danced, and she feared for her safety when some of the drunk men forcefully grabbed her vagina, calling her a slut. An internal investigation by the club found none of the players guilty of sexual misconduct, although formal warnings were issued to all of them. Police interviewed Scarlette but no charges were laid and the dancer, who was shortly after fired by her stripping agency for breaking protocol by allowing men to touch her, has since gone to ground. Womens groups felt the response from NZ Rugby, the club and its corporate sponsors was dismissive of the serious claims of sexual assault, and reeked of victim-blaming. If a woman takes her clothes off and walks around in a group of men, what are we supposed to do if one of them tries to touch her, said Margaret Comer, corporate services executive of Gallagher, one of the Chiefs major sponsors, and a trustee on the board of Waikato Womens Refuge. Its not nice and perhaps the stripper shouldnt have been hired, but Im reluctant to say that the boys were out of line. The Human Rights Council waded in, along with a raft of prominent female leaders, penning an open letter to NZ Rugby, titled Love Rugby, Respect Women, which attracted thousands of signatures. Public outrage from all sides of the political spectrum intensified, angered by NZ Rugbys refusal to hold an independent inquiry, and by September it seemed the battle cries calling for serious cultural change within New Zealand rugby had reached a crescendo. But there was more to come. In mid-September, 18-year-old Wellington rugby player Losi Filipo, appeared in court on charges of seriously assaulting four people on a night out in Wellington, including two women. Filipo was initially discharged without conviction, in part, the presiding judge said, so he could continue his promising rugby career. The crown appealed after a public outcry, saying Filipo had received favourable treatment because of his rugby connection. Filipo has now been sentenced to nine-months supervision, and ordered to attend drug and alcohol counselling. His contract with Wellington Rugby was terminated. from https://allofbeer.wordpress.com/2018/07/31/battle-for-the-soul-of-new-zealand-rugby-after-its-year-of-off-field-shame-eleanor-ainge-roy/
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