More reports:
Stars want off-field guidelines
December 20, 2004
RUGBY league players have asked for off-field behaviour guidelines to be spelt out in black and white.
In a 110-page report commissioned by the National Rugby League and chaired by Professor Catharine Lumby of the University of Sydney, players spoke frankly about life as footballers and their attitudes towards women.
The players said they wanted to help draft a Charter of Social Responsibility with their clubs, developing guidelines on how to cope with situations in which their growing celebrity status led to them being confronted by sexually aggressive women.
One of the key findings of the report released today was the players' desire to have the charter mapped out in
plain English and for it to be contractually binding with set penalties for breaches.
The players are seeking guidelines and on-going education on specific day-to-day problems that arise in the areas of sex, alcohol, socialising, away trips and relationships.
Professor Lumby said 200 players were involved in the study commissioned after gang rape allegations involving Bulldogs players at Coffs Harbour, and all players were unequivocal that sexual assault was wrong and the game's image needed to be repaired.
"The players don't really want to be seen as men who harass women, they hate it," said Professor Lumby.
"It is very interesting to see that the players themselves are really keen to have more support on this.
"The players want to take responsibility for what is acceptable."
The players' charter would be available to the public, so actions and penalties would be transparent for the wider community, Professor Lumby said.
The report also found evidence that abuse of alcohol by men could correlate with increased harassment and assault of women and heavy alcohol consumption remained entrenched in some quarters of the league, although it was being increasingly challenged.
"It is true that footballers find themselves frequently contacted by women who are very sexually aggressive," Professor Lumby said.
"There is a lot more opportunity, also some ongoing higher alcohol consumption in rugby league.
"Opportunity when combined with alcohol consumption can then end up with risky and problematic behaviour.
"That is no excuse for bad behaviour in those situations. They need to learn to manage the situation.
"It is not just footballers. The young men across society need a lot more education."
The report's key recommendations included:-
Specific education sessions exploring the ethics of social and sexual encounters;
Players to work with clubs and the Rugby League Players Association in developing plain English charters of social responsibility to work within the NRL code of conduct;
Clubs to make their charters freely available to the public;
The NRL to continue its efforts to promote responsible use of alcohol in player education;
A uniform process be established for dealing with any woman who wishes to make a complaint regarding player behaviour;
Greater promotion of women in rugby league management and administration;
The NRL to maintain its off-field focus on player education with the RLPA;
The NRL to assist the NSW Rape Crisis centre in raising the awareness of the plight of sexual assault victims;
Clubs be given adequate time to consider the report and its recommendations; and
There should be a consultation process with the research team before implementation.
NRL chief executive David Gallop welcomed the findings and committed to implementing key education findings immediately.
The NRL will begin pursuing longer term recommendations with clubs in the new-year.
Professor Lumby warned that the problems in league could not be changed overnight but she expected an overall culture change within rugby league as a result of further education.
"It is long-term process and there is no quick fix," she said.
"Not all footballers will live up to the standards required but we hope to make a real change for the culture long term."
Source:
http://foxsports.news.com.au/story/0,8659,11743208-23214,00.html
Plain English? Was it originally written in French? :?
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