A Kiwi league player is believed to have used his mobile phone to film himself having sex with a with a woman in the team hotel footage which yesterday helped police declare no New Zealand players would face sexual assault charges after the incident.
The Sunday Star-Times understands the player handed over the footage to NZRL officials in England, who then took the phone to police in London, who in turn sent the images to investigating officers in Wellington. The footage is believed to show the player consensually having sex with the woman without others involved.
The player is one of four who had some form of sexual contact with the woman after the Kiwis lost 58-0 to Australia in a test in the capital last Sunday.
Police began investigating when the team was en route to England the next day, but in a statement yesterday said they would not be charging anyone after the woman withdrew her complaint.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Borrell said they were "satisfied some consensual sexual activity took place. The young woman does not want to pursue the matter further due to her own personal circumstances".
Police believe there was a criminal aspect to the incident, but were unable to pursue that because the complaint had been withdrawn.
Asked about the phone footage, police admitted they had received it and used it as part of the investigation.
NZRL chairman Andrew Chalmers refused to comment on the filming revelation, saying it would be inappropriate.
The Star-Times can confirm the incident took place in a bedroom shared by two of the Kiwis test team, and that there were four players involved, not five as originally reported. A fifth player entered the room as the sexual contact began, but left immediately and took no part.
Chalmers had earlier said he became aware of the complaint when their plane arrived in London at 6am Tuesday and instigated his own disciplinary inquiry. He had also pledged to review the team's management structures "as quickly as we can possibly do it".
He said there had been a clear breach of the team's code of conduct, but wouldn't release details of the code, and said the NZRL didn't "condone the behaviour" that initiated the investigation. "Everyone is very aware of their contractual obligations and what the code of conduct says. I can speak with absolute certainty in saying everyone is disappointed."
Chalmers refused to reveal any details of what action had been taken against which players, whether management had also been censured or whether the incident reflected badly on new Kiwis coach Gary Kemble.
Asked if players would be dropped from playing Great Britain in Saturday's first test, Chalmers said no extra players were being summoned into the squad as a result of the incident.
He confirmed the players' punishment had been decided by himself and the NZRL vice-chairman Phil Campbell. They had not spoken to the complainant, because it was "inappropriate".
Asked to confirm suggestions by sources that the Kiwi camp was now deeply unhappy, Chalmers said: "The focus of the team is on the first test."
After criticism from NRL clubs over the NZRL's silence on the issue last week, Chalmers said they had communicated with the NRL and with any clubs who had contacted them directly.
