Latest news with #GreenIslandRugbyFootballClub
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
'Completely unacceptable': Second player in sex-video scandal
A second player from a Green Island rugby team has admitted to secretly filming a half-naked woman and posting it to a group chat. The sex-video scandal has now drawn sharp admonishment from New Zealand Rugby (NZR), which denounced the behaviour as "completely unacceptable" and promised to take further action region-wide. Player shared secret sex video with team-mates "We will be working with Otago Rugby Football Union and Green Island Rugby Club to ensure this does not happen again," general manager of community rugby Steve Lancaster said. Coach of the Green Island Rugby Football Club's Premier 2 team — nicknamed "The Battlers" — Stu Turner earlier told the Otago Daily Times the two men would play in this weekend's semifinal against Harbour, but yesterday a club spokesman confirmed the duo had been stood down for the rest of the season. "Firstly, we want to make it absolutely clear that the behaviour reported is completely unacceptable. Our thoughts are firmly with the victim and their whānau during what is undoubtedly a deeply distressing time," the spokesman said. "Green Island has stood the player in question down and he will not be taking the field for the remainder of the season. While we are aware of the comments made by the coach in the media, we wish to clarify that the committee makes decisions of this nature, and we have acted accordingly. "We are aware of a related incident and a second player was before the courts today. We have taken action and stood down this player also." Oliver Bugden, 23, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday where he admitted charges of making and posting an intimate visual recording. The pleas came on the back of his team-mate 24-year-old Thomas Ryan, a co-captain of the team, pleading guilty to identical charges last week. Green Island Rugby Football Club is the reigning club of the year following 2024's annual NZR Awards. Ryan and the teenage victim had consumed alcohol before returning to his home in the early hours of June 8, court documents said. While in the bedroom, the defendant took out his cellphone and recorded a five-second video of the woman performing a sex act. She was unaware of the filming and had not consented to it, police said. Shortly afterwards, Ryan posted the clip to the team's Snapchat group, featuring more than 30 people. "Up the battlers," his caption read. Bugden had viewed the message and when he got back to the house he allegedly entered the bedroom with another associate of the team. "[He] pulled the covers from her and filmed her naked breast and underwear before posting it on the same team Snapchat group," a police summary said. The court heard yesterday there was a minor dispute in Bugden's summary of facts, which was expected to be finalised in the coming weeks. The victim only discovered what had happened when a partner of one of the group members sent the video to associates who recognised her. Mr Turner said the Snapchat group to which the footage was sent was made up of Green Island players, "a bunch of randoms ... and guys from other teams". He described the defendants as "great guys" and put the crimes down to "a one-time drunken mistake, you know, it's really out of character for both of them". The club spokesman yesterday acknowledged the "disappointment and concern this incident has caused our community". In both cases the club was co-operating fully with the appropriate authorities. "[We] will support any process necessary to ensure accountability and care. "Green Island remains committed to the values that have long defined our club — respect, integrity, and responsibility. We are developing a plan to ensure our members are educated on how they can live up to the expectation to behave with integrity off the field." Mr Lancaster said everyone deserved "respect, safety and freedom from abuse". NZR extended its "thoughts to those impacted, acknowledging that incidents of this nature can have deeply distressing effects on individuals and whānau alike". An Ōtepoti Communities Against Sexual Abuse spokesperson said it "condemns all forms of sexual violence and would condemn any organisation that elevated the reputation and wellbeing of perpetrators over that of survivors". Counsel for both Ryan and Bugden requested no convictions be entered against their clients during their respective court appearances, indicating a discharge without conviction would be sought at sentencing. Ryan is scheduled to be sentenced in October, Bugden in November.
Otago Daily Times
15-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
NZR condemns player conduct
A second player from a Green Island rugby team has admitted to secretly filming a half-naked woman and posting it to a group chat. The sex-video scandal has now drawn sharp admonishment from New Zealand Rugby (NZR), which denounced the behaviour as "completely unacceptable" and promised to take further action region-wide. "We will be working with Otago Rugby Football Union and Green Island Rugby Club to ensure this does not happen again," general manager of community rugby Steve Lancaster said. Coach of the Green Island Rugby Football Club's Premier 2 team — nicknamed "The Battlers" — Stu Turner earlier told the Otago Daily Times the two men would play in this weekend's semifinal against Harbour, but yesterday a club spokesman confirmed the duo had been stood down for the rest of the season. "Firstly, we want to make it absolutely clear that the behaviour reported is completely unacceptable. Our thoughts are firmly with the victim and their whānau during what is undoubtedly a deeply distressing time," the spokesman said. "Green Island has stood the player in question down and he will not be taking the field for the remainder of the season. While we are aware of the comments made by the coach in the media, we wish to clarify that the committee makes decisions of this nature, and we have acted accordingly. "We are aware of a related incident and a second player was before the courts today. We have taken action and stood down this player also." Oliver Bugden, 23, appeared in the Dunedin District Court yesterday where he admitted charges of making and posting an intimate visual recording. The pleas came on the back of his team-mate 24-year-old Thomas Ryan, a co-captain of the team, pleading guilty to identical charges last week. Green Island Rugby Football Club is the reigning club of the year following 2024's annual NZR Awards. Ryan and the teenage victim had consumed alcohol before returning to his home in the early hours of June 8, court documents said. While in the bedroom, the defendant took out his cellphone and recorded a five-second video of the woman performing a sex act. She was unaware of the filming and had not consented to it, police said. Shortly afterwards, Ryan posted the clip to the team's Snapchat group, featuring more than 30 people. "Up the battlers," his caption read. Bugden had viewed the message and when he got back to the house he allegedly entered the bedroom with another associate of the team. "[He] pulled the covers from her and filmed her naked breast and underwear before posting it on the same team Snapchat group," a police summary said. The court heard yesterday there was a minor dispute in Bugden's summary of facts, which was expected to be finalised in the coming weeks. The victim only discovered what had happened when a partner of one of the group members sent the video to associates who recognised her. Mr Turner said the Snapchat group to which the footage was sent was made up of Green Island players, "a bunch of randoms ... and guys from other teams". He described the defendants as "great guys" and put the crimes down to "a one-time drunken mistake, you know, it's really out of character for both of them". The club spokesman yesterday acknowledged the "disappointment and concern this incident has caused our community". In both cases the club was co-operating fully with the appropriate authorities. "[We] will support any process necessary to ensure accountability and care. "Green Island remains committed to the values that have long defined our club — respect, integrity, and responsibility. We are developing a plan to ensure our members are educated on how they can live up to the expectation to behave with integrity off the field." Mr Lancaster said everyone deserved "respect, safety and freedom from abuse". NZR extended its "thoughts to those impacted, acknowledging that incidents of this nature can have deeply distressing effects on individuals and whānau alike". An Ōtepoti Communities Against Sexual Abuse spokesperson said it "condemns all forms of sexual violence and would condemn any organisation that elevated the reputation and wellbeing of perpetrators over that of survivors". Counsel for both Ryan and Bugden requested no convictions be entered against their clients during their respective court appearances, indicating a discharge without conviction would be sought at sentencing. Ryan is scheduled to be sentenced in October, Bugden in November.
Otago Daily Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Dunedin rugby player shared secret sex video with team-mates
A member of New Zealand's rugby club of the year secretly filmed a woman in the midst of a sex act and sent the video to a group of team-mates. Thomas Ryan, 24, is co-captain of Green Island Rugby Football Club's Premier 2 team "The Battlers" and has remained part of the team since charges of making and posting an intimate visual recording were laid in the Dunedin District Court last month. And his coach Stu Turner confirmed to the ODT the player would not be stood down for this weekend's semifinal against Harbour, despite pleading guilty to the charges last week. Mr Turner described the defendant as "[a] really good dude". "I think [he's] pretty upset with everything that's going on and [he's] going to be getting punished enough as it is ... [stopping him from playing] would just be adding further punishment, I think," he said. Green Island was named club of the year at the national rugby awards last year, just months after winning its first premier title in 46 years. According to the club's website, its fundamental values were "family, pride, discipline, integrity and inclusivity". Chief victims adviser Ruth Money could not comment on specific cases, but said sexual violence, in all its various forms, was a nationwide "epidemic". "We have a long way to go in Aotearoa New Zealand to address harmful sexual behaviour and the attitudes within certain sectors of the community that enable it," she said. According to court documents, Ryan and the victim met after consuming alcohol early on June 8 and returned to his home. During the ensuing intimacy, the defendant, unbeknownst to the woman, took out his cellphone and recorded a five-second video. Shortly afterwards, he posted the clip to the team's Snapchat group, which featured more than 30 people. "Up the battlers," he wrote as the caption. The victim only discovered what had happened when a partner of one of the group members sent the video to associates who recognised her. Mr Turner said he was a member of the Snapchat group but had not seen the footage. It was not only rugby players among the recipients, he said. "There's probably 50% active guys and then just a bunch of randoms ... and there's guys from other teams that are in that group as well," Mr Turner said. "[He] really regrets what [he's] done. And obviously, if [he] gets a charge on it, it's going to hang around forever." An Otepoti Communities Against Sexual Abuse (OCASA) spokesman stressed the rate of sexual violence was growing. "This affects our whole community and needs to be acknowledged and prevented at every level," he said. "OCASA condemns all forms of sexual violence and would condemn any organisation that elevated the reputation and wellbeing of perpetrators over that of survivors." In 2017, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) released its Respect and Responsibility Review, sparked primarily by reports a stripper was manhandled by Chiefs players at a boozy end-of-season party. Then-chief executive Steve Tew said the organisation would focus on driving change, highlighting the sense of entitlement exhibited by some younger players as a specific area for work. NZR failed to respond to questions by deadline. Green Island chairman Brendon Hollows told the ODT he had heard about the incident but would not comment as the matter remained before the court. Ryan's counsel Anne Stevens, KC, entered guilty pleas on her client's behalf last week, but asked that no convictions be entered. She indicated there would be an application for a discharge without conviction at his sentencing in October. For that to be successful, a judge would have to accept the consequences of a conviction for Ryan would be out of all proportion to the seriousness of his crimes. — Rob Kidd, Court reporter
Otago Daily Times
14-07-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Club member filmed woman in sex act, posted video
A member of New Zealand's rugby club of the year secretly filmed a woman in the midst of a sex act and sent the video to a group of team-mates. Thomas Ryan, 24, is co-captain of Green Island Rugby Football Club's Premier 2 team "The Battlers" and has remained part of the team since charges of making and posting an intimate visual recording were laid in the Dunedin District Court last month. And his coach Stu Turner confirmed to the ODT the player would not be stood down for this weekend's semifinal against Harbour, despite pleading guilty to the charges last week. Mr Turner described the defendant as "[a] really good dude". "I think [he's] pretty upset with everything that's going on and [he's] going to be getting punished enough as it is ... [stopping him from playing] would just be adding further punishment, I think," he said. Green Island was named club of the year at the national rugby awards last year, just months after winning its first premier title in 46 years. According to the club's website, its fundamental values were "family, pride, discipline, integrity and inclusivity". Chief victims adviser Ruth Money could not comment on specific cases, but said sexual violence, in all its various forms, was a nationwide "epidemic". "We have a long way to go in Aotearoa New Zealand to address harmful sexual behaviour and the attitudes within certain sectors of the community that enable it," she said. According to court documents, Ryan and the victim met after consuming alcohol early on June 8 and returned to his home. During the ensuing intimacy, the defendant, unbeknownst to the woman, took out his cellphone and recorded a five-second video. Shortly afterwards, he posted the clip to the team's Snapchat group, which featured more than 30 people. "Up the battlers," he wrote as the caption. The victim only discovered what had happened when a partner of one of the group members sent the video to associates who recognised her. Mr Turner said he was a member of the Snapchat group but had not seen the footage. It was not only rugby players among the recipients, he said. "There's probably 50% active guys and then just a bunch of randoms ... and there's guys from other teams that are in that group as well," Mr Turner said. "[He] really regrets what [he's] done. And obviously, if [he] gets a charge on it, it's going to hang around forever." An Otepoti Communities Against Sexual Abuse (OCASA) spokesman stressed the rate of sexual violence was growing. "This affects our whole community and needs to be acknowledged and prevented at every level," he said. "OCASA condemns all forms of sexual violence and would condemn any organisation that elevated the reputation and wellbeing of perpetrators over that of survivors." In 2017, New Zealand Rugby (NZR) released its Respect and Responsibility Review, sparked primarily by reports a stripper was manhandled by Chiefs players at a boozy end-of-season party. Then-chief executive Steve Tew said the organisation would focus on driving change, highlighting the sense of entitlement exhibited by some younger players as a specific area for work. NZR failed to respond to questions by deadline. Green Island chairman Brendon Hollows told the ODT he had heard about the incident but would not comment as the matter remained before the court. Ryan's counsel Anne Stevens, KC, entered guilty pleas on her client's behalf last week, but asked that no convictions be entered. She indicated there would be an application for a discharge without conviction at his sentencing in October. For that to be successful, a judge would have to accept the consequences of a conviction for Ryan would be out of all proportion to the seriousness of his crimes. — Rob Kidd, Court reporter
