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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
