White Ribbon Offers support to NZRFU to ensure that there is a strong message around the need to treat people with respect at all times

White Ribbon New Zealand has offered support to the New Zealand Rugby Players Association and the management of the Chiefs rugby franchise in responding to the incident where a stripper was employed at an end of season function. The chair of the White Ribbon Advisory Committee, Cam Ronald, said “I had contact with both the Chiefs and the Players Association to offer support from White Ribbon. This would ensure that a strong message around the need to treat people with respect at all times, to avoid incidents such as the one which was then under investigation by the NZRFU. These offers were accepted.”

“The management at the Chiefs had already accessed the White Ribbon web site and used material from the White Ribbon toolkit developed in 2015 which provides a template for respectful relationships, and they had used some of that material in framing their response and management of the incident.”

Cam said that “an offer for further contact with the Players Association, together with the Professional Development managers of all the New Zealand rugby franchises, had been extended for October, and this was being progressed.”

White Ribbon emphasises their aim of developing and maintaining appropriate and respectful relationships between men and women in all situations and environments, to avoid incidents such as this.

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Small selection of Media on the issue:

• Chiefs scandal: Police want to speak to stripper
• Rugby got it wrong on scandal: Tew
• NZ Rugby slammed for Chiefs investigation
• Why was My Food Bag sponsoring the Chiefs anyhow?
• Chiefs criticised for ‘in-house’ investigation
• Chiefs cautioned over ‘Mad Monday’ behaviour

A letter signed by many prominent New Zealanders including Dr Jackie Blue, EEO Commissioner, Louise Nicholas, Sexual Violence Survivors Advocate, Rae Duff, National President, National Council of Women of New Zealand, Prue Kapua, National President, Maori Women’s Welfare League, Ang Jury, CEO Women’s Refuge, Barbara Williams, National Council of Women, Dame Susan Devoy, Race Relations Commissioner and Jane Drumm, Shine asks the New Zealand Rugby management and board members to take on board external offers of assistance. You can read the letter here