England’s embattled Rugby Football Union (RFU) tried to buy the silence of a New Zealand chambermaid following allegations of sexual harassment during the World Cup, The Times reported on Friday.
The newspaper quoted a confidential Rugby Players’ Association report into the incident in a hotel in Dunedin and alleged the woman concerned had been offered $NZ30,000 ($A23,000) to keep quiet after James Haskell, Chris Ashton and Dylan Hartley were accused of verbal sexual harassment.
A player quoted anonymously in the report said the players were told: “You’ve got 24 hours to decide whether to settle with the girl for $30,000 or not. Paying the money seemed to be the advice. Another option wasn’t really given.
“We refused to pay because we hadn’t done what she claimed we had done. So we went to find our own lawyers in New Zealand because we felt the RFU QC was interested in defending the RFU’s reputation rather than ours.”
The players said they had made an inappropriate joke but nothing more serious.
The maid’s story later appeared in a Sunday newspaper, sparking a storm that resulted in Haskell and Ashton being given a warning and fined STG5,000 ($A8,000) by the RFU. Hartley was exonerated.
The chambermaid, Annabel Newton, said the incident had left her traumatised but camera footage taken by Haskell showed her smiling and police found there was no case to answer following an investigation.
Meanwhile, The Guardian reported that former All Black and ex-Italy coach John Kirwan had indicated it would be an “honour” to succeed Martin Johnson as England team manager, at least on a temporary basis.
“It would be an honour for me to coach the English side. I think it would be a fantastic job,” the paper quoted Kirwan as saying.
“The team is really exciting. I’m a head coach but I specialise in attack and unleashing the England attack would be something really exciting.”
He added that the current RFU turmoil would not put him off.
“There’s always ups and downs,” he said.
Matthew Skellett
Guest
Was the maid's name Suzy by any chance ? :-)
Mike
Guest
“We refused to pay because we hadn’t done what she claimed we had done. So we went to find our own lawyers in New Zealand because we felt the RFU QC was interested in defending the RFU’s reputation rather than ours.” Good on the players for standing on principle. The police confirmed the harrassment allegation had no foundation, and the players copped a disciplinary fine. That's fair, but not a large payout to someone who was seen to be smiling on camera during the exchange.
Rowan
Guest
here is the transcript from the altercation ASHTON Why are you covering your face like you have got something to hide? HASKELL What are you looking for? NEWTON My radio, give it back HASKELL You’ve got it in your hand NEWTON The other one, there are three, your captain [Moody] has the other one ASHTON That’s the one he was using NEWTON I heard you when I came out of the lift HASKELL You just picked that up from the floor ASHTON Prove it NEWTON ----, you guys are such liars HASKELL Where’s the chocolate? NEWTON I don’t know, go to the dairy [shop] ASHTON What? HASKELL What? ASHTON Milkman? HARTLEY [unintelligible] HASKELL Where’s the chocolate? NEWTON I don’t have any chocolate HASKELL Well you didn’t listen to our demands did you? NEWTON I couldn’t understand most of them HASKELL We wanted chocolate and an Aussie kiss. It’s like a French kiss but 'Down Under’ ASHTON -- [reference to sexual act] NEWTON Ha, -- [repeats the same abbreviation of a sexual act] HASKELL [to ASHTON] No, no, stop it, shut up [Pause] We want some chocolate and we want you to kill Dave Barton [RFU press officer] ASHTON I said what he said to say I would, so ... HARTLEY Honestly, I think it’s out there NEWTON I heard you guys in here, and you were like shh ASHTON We put it in the cupboard NEWTON Subtle HARTLEY It’s in his bag ASHTON It’s not, it’s in there, it’s in there HASKELL It’s in the cupboard [unintelligible] NEWTON [unintelligible] Ah yes, success [unintelligible] ASHTON [unintelligible] HASKELL She completely misunderstood that one NEWTON Thanks guys, that was ... something HARTLEY Can you still come back? HASKELL Yeah we want some chocolate NEWTON Erm, no HASKELL Get us some chocolate or we’ll take both of them NEWTON No! ALL THREE PLAYERS Yes HASKELL We’ll keep robbing them NEWTON You are so [unintelligible] ASHTON Excuse me you forgot this ... can you just say bye to the camera please NEWTON Bye HASKELL Say “the V bangers are the best” NEWTON I don’t even know what that means ASHTON It’s our gang HASKELL It’s our gang NEWTON No it’s so not it’s something dodgy ALL THREE PLAYERS It is, it is HARTLEY It’s a car. It’s called a Victor and it’s an old banger NEWTON OK, the V bangers are the best ASHTON Oh yes [unintelligible] HASKELL Thank you
Ross
Guest
The sheer incompetence of the RFU is staggering. They were prepared to let their players' names be dragged through the mud & pay a load of money without apparently asking to see the footage which the players claimed (rightly it seems) exonerated them.