‘I was sexually assaulted in a cupboard at Wales rugby stadium’
++ Victim subject to two attacks by colleague ++ Bombshell comes in wake of damning sexism report at Welsh union ++ CEO issues apology
AFORmeR Welsh Rugby Union employee has said she was sexually assaulted by a colleague in a cupboard at Principality Stadium and has described the devastating impact it has had on her life.
The news is another bombshell for Wales’ national game at the height of the Six Nations and comes in the wake of a damning report into sexism and misogyny at the WRU which was published last year. The victim says she was subject to two attacks by a coworker between 2019 and 2021.
New WRU chief executive Abi Tierney has issued an apology to the victim, who wishes to remain anonymous. The victim told ITV Wales: ‘He was waiting there in the cupboard in the office.
‘He pulled the door shut and wedged me up against some of the stock and sexually assaulted me. I just froze.
‘I hate myself for it because I didn’t do anything. I was just in shock as he was in my face. From the moment he had done it I just wanted to be invisible. He said he would never do it again.
‘But he came in to collect some post one day when he wasn’t supposed to be in work. He came and found me and said, “You are going to have to come down to the office for a minute”.
‘Stupidly, I went. We got to the office and I thought I am not going to sit down so I stood by the door. As we came out he grabbed my behind.
‘It took me back to the first time straight away. I just froze again.’
The victim did not report the assaults to the police out of fear of not being believed. No police investigation is currently ongoing into the incidents.
The woman took the step of messaging her colleague, who replied: ‘I’m sorry it will never happen again.’ She said: ‘Basically, he admitted it.
‘I hated going to work, I was always jumpy when people would walk past me in the office.
‘People in the department and all over the WRU knew about it. One day I messaged the line manager and told her everything.
‘ He resigned as soon as he caught wind I had spoken up. He got a new job straight away.’
In 2022, the WRU were hit by a series of allegations which claimed there was a culture of sexism and misogyny within the governing body.
It led to the resignation of former chief executive Steve Phillips and a thorough review into the work culture at the WRU being undertaken.
When the review was released in November, it found ‘toxic’ and ‘vindictive’ behaviour within the organisation and a culture of bullying and discrimination.
In response, the WRU have made a series of steps to overhaul their diversity and inclusion, including reforming the board to include more female members.
Tierney said: ‘Firstly, it is vitally important for me, on behalf of everyone at the WRU, to formally apologise directly to the individual involved.
‘The behaviour described is totally unacceptable and was not ever — and will not ever — be tolerated.
‘Our culture did not prevent such an incident from happening. While we know our people team worked hard to offer support and care over an extended period of time, some of our HR policies for addressing such incidences were not right. We have said already we regret the use of non-disclosure settlements or similar arrangements where employment ended.
‘more widely, I would like to reiterate the full apology both myself and others have previously offered to anyone who has been affected by issues and challenges highlighted by our recent independent review.
‘Although the person has wished to remain anonymous, from the description of the circumstances it is our understanding this is one of the cases examined by the review and in this way has already fed the recommendations for change we are committed to deliver.’
The incident claimed by the victim was not mentioned specifically in the review, which made 36 recommendations to the WRU.
‘To get the full picture you have to look at everything,’ said the victim. ‘I was a problem they (WRU) just wanted covered and never brought to light. It’s changed every part of my life.
‘I don’t go out. I have nightmares. I have panic attacks. I want women to feel safe where they work and feel like they can speak up. I didn’t feel like I could.
‘I hated the place. It was like living a nightmare. No amount of counselling or making my job easier was going to get me back in that building.’
Tierney is attempting to lead a new era at the WRU.
She said: ‘The review gives us a roadmap to continuous improvement. The review was conducted independently to the WRU.
‘We understood historical cases may come forward during and after the review period. We continue to welcome dialogue with anyone involved or affected by any of the issues raised so we can apologise to them and continue to learn and improve.’