4 Corners - "Code of Silence"

"...aggressive, young, risk-taking males." - Steve Burraston, Newcastle Knights chief executive, on what rugby league's after in its players.

The ads for last night's 4 Corners saying how we'll be surprised by the program, which features an interview with an NZ woman who alleges group sex with a bunch of rugby league players seven years ago (which has resulted in news stories ahoy), simply makes me think, "Quelle non surprise." I mean, we've heard about league players' misdemeanours for decades.

I was speaking about the upcoming program with a friend yesterday morning and he was saying when he played the grade below first with rugby, there were many, many women practically throwing themselves at all the guys. He said he didn't understand the group thing, but he knew people who were into it.

In all honesty, I think what people get up to in the privacy of their own rooms is up to them and if everyone involved has given consent and are happy, then whatever. It's not really any of my business.

Buuuut...

What is concerning is the non-consensual side of things.

And it does seem (when looking from the outside and as someone not really interested in league) like the NRL is still struggling with issues relating to violence towards women. Or just violence in general. But then there does seem to be an increasing amount of violence in Australian society in general (or at least there's an increase in reporting, which is probably more the case).

That aside, I realise now that I am surprised by this investigation by 4 Corners. It's far worse than I thought, even though I think there's a weakness in focusing mostly on events that have happened quite a while ago, rather than some of the more recent things.

And it got to the point where my HEAD NEARLY EXPLODED when one young player said, "It's how you treat 'em afterwards..." at a tutoring program designed to raise awareness in younger players about sexual assault, responsibilities and what's not appropriate.

ARRGHH!!!

Why is it that there are men out there who think it's perfectly fine to force women to have sex with them? And then think nothing of it or seem to believe that it's just something that happens, as long as you order them a nice taxi afterwards.

When I moved to New South Wales from South Australia, I was astonished by the bad behaviour of rugby league players. Having been sheltered from league in SA and most AFL players seeming to behave themselves (or at least having better PR - or maybe not), it seemed like you couldn't pass a season without league guys being involved in sexual assaults, drunken rampages and all kinds of bollocks. The most prominent one in the time I was in NSW was probably the stuff involving the Bulldogs in 2004 (although it wasn't their first or last incident).

Prior to the Bulldogs saga coming out in the news, I went on a date with a friend of friends who was a league-playing guy. And he was into group sex (and according to him, a lot of league guys are - it's part of the "culture"). That was something surprising to find out on a first date while eating dinner. Try to keep a straight face while you hear such things, I challenge you.

There wasn't a second date.

When allegations relating to the Bulldogs players were revealled, I was somehow unsurprised, based on what I had heard about the "culture." None of the players allegedly involved were charged, but the NRL did fine them. There were also many discussions in the media about the attitudes of players towards women and the NRL has apparently been working to address these issues over the years.

However, misogynistic behaviour appears to continue within the NRL, in spite of the efforts of NRL admin. This makes me wonder how ingrained this "culture" thing is of seeming to see and treat women as objects who can be used in any way wished, rather than human beings who have thoughts and opinions and may not be up for sex with multiple league players, even if there are some women who are.

Perhaps the lines have been blurred for them relating to women because of the number of women who throw themselves at guys who play sport and are willing to do anything for attention from players. Perhaps this leads some players to think this means they can have any woman they want in any way they want. I don't know. But it made me think of a documentary I saw a while ago called Footy Chicks, which explores these sort of issues far better than I could. There's also an interesting 7.30 Report transcript about the doco, too.

I think it's likely some fans of league will react badly against the program aired last night. But instead of that, maybe it should be a case of getting angry at the people who are doing the wrong thing, instead of angry at those exposing it. We shouldn't be encouraging or protecting those who treat other people badly, regardless of whether they're a sports star or the ordinary person in the street.

Maybe there's more senior players could do to promote healthier attitudes in younger players, and league bosses could be stricter about these issues. Maybe clubs could stop closing ranks around those who do the wrong thing, tacitly rewarding those who have quite possibly done something illegal. Clubs don't penalise players - such as the way that Manly players turned up at practice after a rather drunken season launch - and then the NRL has to step in.

But then you get clubs who do try to do something about the drinking culture, such as the Knights coach who spoke about alternatives to going out and getting drunk as a team-bonding exercise. And there are programs being run to try to educate players about problem areas.

There needs to be some way of balancing the risks taken on the field with not taking those kinds of risks off the field for the idiots who don't behave themselves. But how? And who's going to lead the way, and with what kind of "policing"?

Yet, I know there are many players out there who do the right thing and unfortunately, these kinds of incidents end up spoiling things for them as well. The negative elements always tend to get the most publicity, which ends up obscuring what I would say would be a majority of players who do act decently.

Anyway. Enough ranting.

Update: NRL chief executive David Gallop has responded to last night's program, and quite well, from what I've read.