NZC says player culture improved
New Zealand Cricket believes it has taken the best steps in improving player culture in the wake of international Scott Kuggeleijn’s rape trials.
Kuggeleijn, 27, faced two trials in 2016 and 2017, on charges of raping a woman in a Hamilton East flat in 2015. The first jury was undecided and the second found him not guilty.
New Zealand Cricket had remained silent after Kuggeleijn’s off-field history was highlighted by Stuff last week, after he had brilliant on-field performances in recent Twenty20 internationals at home. He had played two one-day internationals in Ireland in 2017 since being found not guilty. This week, NZC’s public affairs manager Richard Boock said the organisation had taken positive steps since the trials to address the way they induct professional players into the game.
Boock said in the wake of Kuggeleijn’s trials all professional players are taken through the New Zealand Cricket Players’ Association (NZCPA) induction course, which includes a ‘‘comprehensive workshop on sexual harassment and consent’’.
This is conducted by an expert, independent of NZC, and given to every professional player in the men’s and women’s game.
Boock said the investment in women’s cricket is NZC’s way of setting an example to the public on how women should be treated, included and respected.
‘‘We’ve also taken steps in this time, and not necessarily because of Scott Kuggeleijn, to greatly enhance the representation of women on cricket boards throughout the country. When Scott Kuggeleijn initially stood trial there were 10, now there’s more than 70.
‘‘We’ve invested in growth, participation, high-performance pathways for women and girls, officials and coaches.’’
But Wellington-based cricket fan Sandra Dickson disagrees that NZC has done enough for sexual violence towards women and this week launched a petition targeted towards what she sees as NZC’s negligence over the Kuggeleijn situation.
The petition, designed to change NZC’s stance on sexual violence, has received more than 450 signatures since the weekend.
Dickson posted the ‘‘No means no – show NZ Cricket condemns sexual violence’’ petition on her Facebook page and plans to take it to NZC, demanding a change in policy.
She has been involved in educating schoolboys on behaviour towards women and says NZC needs to condemn Kuggeleijn’s attitude and behaviour towards women.
She led the development of the ‘‘Mates & Dates’’ school programme and played first-class cricket in New Zealand and county cricket in the UK. Mates & Dates was introduced to secondary schools in 2014, designed to prevent sexual and dating violence by teaching relationship skills and behaviours.
Dickson’s petition says: ‘‘NZ Cricket should only select Black Caps that every New Zealander can feel proud to be represented by.
‘‘Scott Kuggeleijn’s description of his own behaviour does not meet these standards – or the players’ association standards for sexual relationships.’’
NZC is aware of the petition. At the trials Kuggeleijn, the son of former New Zealand cricketer Chris Kuggeleijn, admitted the woman had said no at least twice to his persistent attempts to have sex with her, and also apologised to her the next day.
Asked by Stuff for comment this week, Kuggeleijn continued to remain silent.
NZCPA chief executive Heath Mills said he was confident the personal development programme provided well for players, and acknowledged Kuggeleijn had used the programme since the trial.
The programme includes health and wellbeing support and can range from therapy to nutrition.
Mills said while the great majority of cricketers conducted themselves well, there would always be situations when mistakes were made.
‘‘Cricketers are like any group of people and they are often young people coming into a high pressured environment. So there’s going to be challenges and growth and maturing along the way.
‘‘I’m not going to sit here and say every one of our members is perfect, just like no human is.
‘‘It’s been well documented over the years that we have had players with challenges off the field. It is like any normal subset of society.’’
The outcome of a player’s career was not for a sporting organisation to decide, he said, it was for the courts.
‘‘The with.’’ matter has been dealt