Statement on disciplinary sanctions

Statement relating to the sanctions imposed by the WRFU Disciplinary Committee following a serious incident in November 2020.

Marist St Pats (MSP) deeply regrets the actions of the three players involved in the incident last year. All three players were stood down immediately following the incident pending the WRFU investigation. All have now been suspended from playing for the club. We condemn violence in rugby, and all of society, and will be taking actions to stamp out any complacency on this issue from our club.

While the three players have expressed remorse for their actions, what occurred does not represent who MSP are as a club. We have always been committed to a culture of fair play and respect towards all the teams we play, recognising that we are all part of the great game that is rugby.

We have offered support to the Petone Club and the player and soon after the incident he was visited by a number of our senior players, to express their strong regret at what occurred and offer him any support he needed.

We acknowledge the ruling of the WRFU disciplinary committee and the club and the three players all fully cooperated throughout the hearing process. Mistakes have been made and acknowledged, and we are now focused as a club on working hard to ensure this never happens again - at MSP or anywhere.

We have taken several important steps in this regard, including:

  • In November a working group involving a cross section of our diverse community was established to review the club's strategic imperatives and to define the values of MSP and promote those values and live by them.
  • The club is seeking support from NZ Rugby's cultural advisory team to run a programme with the club's Board.
  • The players involved in the incident have been enrolled in support counselling through the Taeaomanino Trust

MSP has a proud tradition of strong values and success, built over 50 years. Those traditions have been compromised through this incident, but we are committed understanding how we need to grow as a club and take meaningful action to do that. We will learn from this experience which will make us a more successful club, both on and off the field, in the years to come.



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