What is it about “no” that rugger buggers don’t get?

I’m appalled by the suggestion of an unnamed English rugby official that the rape allegation last week against four English rugby players was “designed to destabilise the tour… You have to remember that New Zealand are still bitter with us over their exit from the World Cup.”

Now Twickenham are complicit in a possible rape. Does this upper-class prat really not know that charges don’t get laid in most rape cases? Coffs Harbour ring any bells? No charges laid, but the NRL fined the Bulldogs $150,000.

This gaffe followed Graham Henry’s (hat-tip to The Hand Mirror):

I don’t know what the details are, but I know there’s a bit going on. You don’t want any sporting team to be going through those situations. You live in that sort of life yourselves – in the international sporting environment. I think you’ve got a lot of sympathy for people who go through that situation. Certainly you just like to be supportive.

The list of rugby/league players being accused of sexual violation in these situations is troubling. What is it that these men find so difficult to understand about “no” meaning “no”?

The temptations of the groupie culture must be immense. The rugby authorities have a duty to all concerned to control it. They failed in this instance. But that doesn’t excuse sexual violation when it happens. There are no excuses.

The police continue to investigate this case. We must hope for a quick and complete resolution, one way or the other. But is it too much to expect the rugby establishment to learn something from this? Apparently.

Elsewhere in the blogosphere…

Farrar opines that, “I have to say there is a high degree of cynicism about the allegations, but that due process needs to be gone through, so unless people were in the room, no-one knows for sure what happened.” Note the qualification about a “high degree of cynicism.” Predictably, the kiwiblog right were under no illusions. “Stupid girl she asked for it”, spewed one.

Update: At The Hand Mirror a guest blog from Anna reflects further on the response to the Hilton incident.

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Tags: gender politics