NZR complaint line sends warning
New Zealand Rugby’s decision to establish an official complaint service is a step in the right direction and sends a warning to players at all levels about acceptable conduct.
It is positive to see NZR follow through on recommendations from the Respect and Responsibility review; that it wasn’t just lip service.
Achieving other targets around gender equality and diversity are more important and may take much longer but for now this is one box ticked.
Independent senior lawyer Steph Dyhrberg will monitor and assess complaints to the number (0800 246 643) around “inappropriate or objectionable behaviour”. That’s a broad spectrum, encompassing everything from the Chiefs stripper scandal to Aaron Smith’s airport toilet tryst — incidents which provided the catalyst for the push for change we are now witnessing.
Serious sideline abuse and acts of violence are other instances which can be reported.
Complaints are covered by the Privacy Act so are unlikely to be made public, unless those making them feel they have not been dealt with.
The challenge for NZR will be filtering through complaints that need immediate attention; those that may just be attention-seeking, and those potentially seeking to settle a grudge.
At the elite end, the national body also needs to prove it is capable of punishing its leading players, not just those on the fringe of the All Blacks.
When Smith was found to have lied to NZR during the second investigation into the airport incident he merely received a warning, largely because of his importance as the starting All Blacks halfback.
In the age of social media, the complaints line is another signal to those in the public eye, that with profile comes intense scrutiny.
Professionalism embodies far more than simply performing on the field. The role model debate is a complex one but expectations around conduct are non-negotiable. Step out of line, and those offended by such behaviour, whether it be on a moral or illegal level, are now being actively encouraged to act.
Even amateur rugby players need to be careful.
Court sessions remain common among club teams, a means of bonding and/or celebrating. But should such activities spill into the public arena and team kits are worn, the risk is now greater that offensive behaviour will be reported.