Rugby player who beat partner, a ‘great human’

[JessicaWakefieldSVH]

This case has enraged me from the beginning. There are other articles I can link to, but the comments today as he is selected to start for the best club in the world, by the head coach Scott ‘Razor’ Robertson ( likely next All Black coach ) have shocked me. Note, he did NOT have this contract or any other in NZ before he beat his partner. He had an Irish club contract, dropped when this came to light. He was rewarded with a better contract. He is also not a New Zealander, he’s Fijian and only there 4 years.

Scott Robertson refers to a man who beat his gf in the street, as ‘a great human’.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12210571

Sorry I couldn’t do a click link!

www.nzherald.co.nz/rugby/news/article.cfm?c_id=80&objectid=12210571

The players association chief defends him here as having ‘taken ownership’. He had no choice as it was public and a doorman stepped in to save the woman. God only knows what he’s like in private.

Also note, the man here says that if they took a zero tolerance approach, it wouldn’t be possible given the amount of men ( and women he claims ) who offend in this manner. In effect saying the problem is too big. Please note also, I watch these stories and have done for some time as a child of DV. I have never seen a female NZ rugby player in court for incidents of this nature, although I’m not suggesting it does not ever happen, I find the need to make it a society issue and not a male violence issue a bit annoying.

i.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/109283783/super-rugby-sevu-reece-gets-his-second-chance-at-rugby-redemption-with-the-crusaders

I have personally spoken with NZR about this, and they have contradicted what they assured me by playing him in the super rugby competition. I was told I could watch super rugby without fear I was applauding violent men who beat women. Not only is he playing, but I am now told by a journalist there are many others in the competition with name suppression.

The public response is also disappointing: nobody cares.

Bumping.

Please consider complaining to NZ rugby with me. Complain about the words of the coach rather than the signing.

nzrugby.co.nz/what-we-do/rugby-responsibility/respect-and-responsibility-review/complaints-management-service

I’ll complain. I’m in Oz and we see a lot of super rugby. So many issues with footballers at the moment. Thanks for flagging.

Thanks for responding! It gets lost amongst the trans threads! But it is important!! I am furious the woman who insisted we have a telephone call, almost 2 hours, told me I could safely watch super rugby without worrying I was applauding violent men. Clearly not the case.

Will sign

He’s a quality young kid. Ffs
He beat his girlfriend

I know. Such horrible comments. My phone call was about the previous comments made last year, including... ‘ look, I want to hit this on the head right now, I’ve looked into his eyes and see genuine remorse... it’s a behavioural issue not a character trait...’

I mean, who starts a discussion on domestic violence with, ‘ I want to hit this on the head’ ffs

I’ve also written to domestic violence charities in NZ asking them to speak out on this, and the All Blacks major sponsor, AIG:

www.aig.co.nz/feedback-and-complaints

Knock it on the head is especially bad turn of phrase with research going on to link concussion with domestic violence.

www.forbes.com/sites/dandiamond/2014/09/18/nfl-possible-concussions-domestic-violence-link-getting-more-scrutiny/#7ade482b1d2d

Yes, and they go on so much about how concerned they are with concussion in rugby players received in games- what about the ones they dish out to their wives and girlfriends?!

I specifically mentioned that phrase on the phone call with NZR and the woman was equally horrified.

Also note, the man here says that if they took a zero tolerance approach, it wouldn’t be possible given the amount of men ( and women he claims ) who offend in this manner.

If that’s true then he is admitting there is a serious culture of domestic violence amongst rugby players. That’s what he is saying. Does he not realise that?

Does he not realise that?

I don’t think these people are particularly smart. I might try and find his contact details too. They have denied for decades that there is a serious problem of violence in rugby!

Bumping to get more eyes on this! NZ has the highest rate of DV in the developed world, it would be great to get as many women making complaints as possible!! Thanks.

Horrifying. And the coach: "there's nothing we can do because half the squad are probably at it."

Bumping this for you to see if we can get you more interest. What can we this side of the world do? (Not sure, for instance, NZ rugby would put much weight on an email from a middle aged mum in England, but I can give it a go if you think it would help.)

It's a bizarre situation isn't it? Would they be the same if he had beaten the coach up or a team mate? Do they just not get what they don't see?

And the coach: "there's nothing we can do because half the squad are probably at it."

Of course there is something you can do. You end the contracts of anyone involved in violence of any kind. Whether it be drunken pub brawls or assaulting a partner. End their contracts. Have a zero tolerance policy. There are enough talented young players out there who haven’t assaulted anyone. Invest in them, invest in programmes that go into schools and youth teams to teach them what real men and real rugby players think and behave like. Show them that any violence results in them never playing pro rugby. That they would be the shame of their nation to engage in violence of any kind.

They’re a global brand and rely heavily on fans in the north, so anyone in my view, has a right to complain about public statements made by professional sports organisations or their representatives.

The guys attitude regarding how many do it, is piss poor indeed. They’ve excused it for decades so of course loads are doing it, there’s no blimin deterrent! Legally or professionally. I was told by the woman I spoke to that these attitudes are rife right through the organisation and they have no idea how to fix it. She actually said that. No idea.

Another thing I got a hint of, the way he was talking about the kinds of people they have playing and their environments and backgrounds etc I know what he’s doing. He didn’t say the word ‘culture’ or pasifika specifically, but that’s what he means. I’m Māori, I know we have a problem with DV ( and child abuse ), but so do white people. It’s just rugby happens to involve a high percentage of Māori and other pacific people’s, as players. The guys at the top who set the tone, are all white and always have been. I absolutely know what he’s alluding to and it really pisses me off.

Would they be the same if he had beaten the coach up or a team mate? Do they just not get what they don't see?

Just to highlight the hypocrisy. When ex welsh player Gareth Thomas was the victim of a homophobic attack last year, they all wore rainbow laces- on white ribbon day. When Israel Folau said that stupid thing about gays going to the imaginary place called hell, two kiwi players spoke out and said they ‘ couldn’t believe they had to play against him’. I contacted one of them for support over this and he was super defensive and really rude, tried to excuse it and say Israel was worse! Than hitting someone?! Then deleted his messages to me?! My point is not that they should not support the gay community, but that they so readily would, the All Blacks wearing rainbow laces is a big deal, yet they’ve never done anything remotely like it for women and DV.

ILoveMaxiBondi

They have actually got programmes around behaviour, they even send groups over to the orher islands as they know some of them will relocate to NZ and play, like this guy did. They’re actually doing all that kind of stuff and have for a while. So that’s why I think they should have zero tolerance. These players have been given so much support, education and advice, so when they still end up violent, you need to get rid of them. They are actually pretty pampered, even at lower levels.

It is definitely a problem in the NH too - for instance the Ulster rugby trial. Currently the problem is that rugby is big business, the teams want the most talented player they can afford in each position on the field (which means they're not that easy to replace) so if the player is talented enough they could probably literally get away with murder (American football and OJ Simpson, for instance... he wasn't a current player at the time, but his playing history was a large part of why the jury acquitted him in the criminal trial.)

I suspect that the only thing the rugby authorities would really listen to would be being hit in the pocket. But how you'd organise this when most of the fans don't care either. Possibly a campaign to prevent anyone with a conviction for a violent offence being legally barred from representing their country might have legs. Cut off the route to the very highest levels and hope for a trickle-down effect.

Or maybe a campaign aimed at the parents of rugby playing kids? Aimed at the firms providing the sponsorship. "Sponsor a player with a conviction, and we won't buy your products?" for instance.

so when they still end up violent, you need to get rid of them.

Yes, all the education in the world is worth fuck all if there are no consequences for those who break the law. It has to come from the top down and hit them financially. Sponsors withdrawing sponsorship and head honchos having the balls to drop offending players.

Yes, it’s a problem everywhere. The English team toured NZ in 2008 and had a similar incident to the Belfast rape trial- except it never went to trial as they all denied it and back then it was way harder to take something like that to trial.

NZR are already losing fans, hardly anyone attends super rugby anymore. Boys registrations are in the decline too, whereas more girls are playing than ever before. I think they’re so desperate as so many guys are going overseas, over here, that actually they’re scratching around for players a lot of the time. I used to love this game. I grew up in a tiny tiny place with nothing more than a little school and a rugby club. It’s sad for me I can’t watch it anymore, but I find it a form of self abuse to keep supporting and watching knowing so many beat women. I know what that feels like so I can’t support it at all.

I wish, at the very least, if they must give second chances, that they would speak about it differently. Here’s what Scott Robertson could have said:

‘ yes we have selected Sevu and we know that he raises a concern for our community and we acknowledge that. We are also disappointed at his behaviour and are frustrated that despite our programmes and support, players still behave in this totally unacceptable way. But we have signed him and have put faith in his assurances and ability to overcome this terrible problem he has had. We will always speak out against violence, while trying to do our best to help someone in our rugby community to overcome this by focusing on something positive in his life’

It’s their stupid attitude that bothers me.

Yup, consequences! We teach our kids there are consequences to bad behaviour, yet when they grow up, we send a very different message.

Some good news is that the comments underneath that article with the players association rep, are predominantly against him playing.