Sunday Mirror (Northern Ireland)
IRFU HOLDS CLASSES ON INTIMACY Ireland players tackling consent »Squad get lessons » Firm ‘helps prevent on healthy behaviour harmful sexual habits’
The men have been attending compulsory workshops about “healthy behaviours” – including while drinking – following the outcome of the Belfast rape trial last year.
A spokesman for the Irish Rugby Football Union said: “As a background, following the trial the IRFU gave a commitment to conduct an in-depth review of existing structures and educational programmes.
“We identified additional programmes that could be added to the education curriculum, particularly in the areas of healthy behaviours and relationships and the decision-making awareness relating to these.
“We did recognise it was incumbent upon us to ensure our programmes matched the ever-changing social environment.”
Today marks one year since the IRFU terminated Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding’s contracts.
While the pair were cleared of rape, public outrage over the exposure of lewd text messages in a WhatsApp group and their treatment of the 19-year-old at the centre of the case led to them hanging up their boots with Ulster and Ireland.
We can now reveal the IRFU, along with Rugby Players Ireland, found shortcomings in the services provided in educating players.
The bodies appointed UK-based consultancy Gleeson Mills, who work with a number of sports in these areas, to carry out the education programme.
Its website states the company “specialises in the prevention of harmful sexual behaviour”.
The IRFU said: “Our decision to work with this provider was based on the content of their programmes, their experience and their expertise in the specific context of sport.”
The Sunday Mirror contacted Gleeson Mills to outline what their sessions consisted of but a spokesperson advised the newspaper to contact RPI to “discuss the content of the work they commissioned”.
A spokesman for RPI said: “Awareness And Behaviours is an interactive two-session workshop developed specifically for elite sporting professionals to discuss and promote healthy intimate relationships while looking at risks associated with situations they might find themselves in. Workshop content, which covers areas such as healthy behaviours, including consent, was coordinated by player development managers and a clinical psychologist alongside IRFU HR, through consultation with a range of stakeholders, including male and female staff.”
The IRFU added: “The programme provides an understanding of the importance of making good decisions when others may have a diminished capacity to do so, particularly when impacted or inhibited by alcohol and or other substances.”
It told the Sunday Mirror the senior teams – including the national squad – were first to attend the classes.
The spokesman said: “We prioritised the development of the workshops for our senior teams. Most players have now undertaken the training. A small number will complete the programme at the end of the season as the training dates did not work for them initially.
“The programme has been undertaken by players in each province and delivered as part of a curriculum of mandatory workshops that also deal with gambling, social media usage, mental health and transition from the game.
“These workshops came as part of