Off-field punch costs Canterbury rugby player $10,000
Promising Canterbury rugby prop and former weightlifting world champion Joel Hintz has been ordered to pay $10,000 to a man he punched in Dunedin in April.
Hintz has escaped censure by the Canterbury Rugby Football Union, which was only made aware of the incident and court appearance when contacted by Stuff on Friday.
Hintz this week pleaded guilty to a charge of injuring by unlawful act when he appeared in the Dunedin District Court.
The 21 year old was a member of the Canterbury squad that defended the Ranfurly Shield against Wanganui and Mid Canterbury prior to the Mitre 10 Cup season, and also represented powerhouse club side Lincoln University.
Hintz was at a party in Dunedin when he became involved in the incident that led him to punching an Australian man, who was in New Zealand studying, in the mouth.
The Otago Daily Times reported that Hintz, who was also a successful weightlifter and set a record in his weight class at the world championships in Johannesburg in 2014, saw two men wrestling in the backyard of the property.
‘‘Without warning he punched the victim once in the mouth with a closed fist,’’ a police summary stated.
Canterbury Rugby chief executive Nathan Godfrey said the first he heard of matter was when Stuff approached him for comment. He also confirmed the Canterbury coaches and management were previously unaware of the incident and resulting court sentence.
‘‘That being the case, no action has been taken by the CRFU in relation to this. However the situation has been clearly dealt with by the courts,’’ Godfrey said.
‘‘Hintz is not currently contracted to Canterbury Rugby and nor was he at the time of the incident.
‘‘However, he has been involved in some of our representative teams and it is therefore disappointing to hear about this incident.’’
Godfrey confirmed the CRFU had contacted the Lincoln University club and the Canterbury Maori management to ‘‘offer any support we can to provide in relation to Joel’s behaviour and any subsequent education programmes’’.
The ODT reported that counsel Anne Stevens said Hintz ‘‘genuinely thought he was helping someone, but he misread the situation’’.
Hintz told police he tried to separate the men because he thought they were fighting.
As he did so the victim threw a punch at him, and he reacted.
The injured man, who suffered damage to an incisor tooth and required a titanium implant and a false tooth to be fitted, refuted that account of events. The estimated cost of the dental work was $12,000.
The exact cost would not be known until March, the court was told.
Judge John Macdonald noted the defendant was a ‘‘man of promise’’ and the conviction was the first blemish on his record.