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The punch that cost the Sharks $20,000
Jacquelin Magnay | May 21, 2009
THE financially embattled Cronulla Sharks rugby league club paid $20,000 to a female employee who was accidentally hit in the face by the chief executive, Tony Zappia.
Jenny Hall, who was then the community liaison officer, suffered such severe bruising and trauma she had to take four days off work.
Mr Zappia has previously said the incident, on August 9 last year, was an accident and he was simply shadow boxing.
Ms Hall has said nothing publicly and did not report the matter but found working at the club so uncomfortable she has moved interstate.
The club's woes worsened further last night after a star player, Reni Maitua, was immediately suspended after he tested positive to the performance-enhancing drug Clenbuterol.
The Herald has learnt that a club culture that became public with revelations of a group sex incident in Christchurch in 2002 has continued in recent years.
Sex toys have been distributed to players and sex workers have entered the dressing room with a club supporter after a game.
Sources have confirmed that early last year players were offered sex toys to take home to their wives and girlfriends. The items were stored in and distributed from the club's offices. Some players' partners were horrified that players and officials might judge their sex lives on the choice of "toy".
Also last year an unofficial supporter of the club, a sex shop owner, Con Ange, entered the dressing room after a game at Shark Park with two scantily dressed female friends, who were introduced as "Bitch One and Bitch Two". That phrase is understood to have been used in reference to other women around the club in other introductions.
"It was pretty clear what was on offer and it wasn't Con," a club source said of the two women in the dressing room.
Mr Ange owns more than 20 adult shops known as "Everything Adult". He was an associate of the Kings Cross identities Ashtray Frank and Fatty and Skinny Steve who worked at Porkys and the Love Machine. He was the focus of the Pandora police taskforce in 1996 and charged in relation to $1.7 million worth of stolen property. The charges were dropped.
Last year the Queensland Department of Fair Trading fined him $5000 for selling hardcore items that had been refused classification in any state.
Last week Cronulla faced calls for the resignation of its chairman, Barry Pierce, who was the highest official travelling with Matthew Johns and other players to Christchurch. This latest in-house revelation has put the club and senior officials under further intense scrutiny about attitudes to women.
Last night when questioned at a news conference about the incident with Ms Hall, Mr Zappia said he felt "empty, frustration, anger".
"I feel for my wonderful family at home who continue to see me under these conditions."
Last night he sent a text message to the Herald about the sex toys. "The club has not provided those items to players." He also said the club did not have any sponsors "of that nature".
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/lhqnews/the-punch-that-cost-20000/2009/05/20/1242498807986.html
Jacquelin Magnay | May 21, 2009
THE financially embattled Cronulla Sharks rugby league club paid $20,000 to a female employee who was accidentally hit in the face by the chief executive, Tony Zappia.
Jenny Hall, who was then the community liaison officer, suffered such severe bruising and trauma she had to take four days off work.
Mr Zappia has previously said the incident, on August 9 last year, was an accident and he was simply shadow boxing.
Ms Hall has said nothing publicly and did not report the matter but found working at the club so uncomfortable she has moved interstate.
The club's woes worsened further last night after a star player, Reni Maitua, was immediately suspended after he tested positive to the performance-enhancing drug Clenbuterol.
The Herald has learnt that a club culture that became public with revelations of a group sex incident in Christchurch in 2002 has continued in recent years.
Sex toys have been distributed to players and sex workers have entered the dressing room with a club supporter after a game.
Sources have confirmed that early last year players were offered sex toys to take home to their wives and girlfriends. The items were stored in and distributed from the club's offices. Some players' partners were horrified that players and officials might judge their sex lives on the choice of "toy".
Also last year an unofficial supporter of the club, a sex shop owner, Con Ange, entered the dressing room after a game at Shark Park with two scantily dressed female friends, who were introduced as "Bitch One and Bitch Two". That phrase is understood to have been used in reference to other women around the club in other introductions.
"It was pretty clear what was on offer and it wasn't Con," a club source said of the two women in the dressing room.
Mr Ange owns more than 20 adult shops known as "Everything Adult". He was an associate of the Kings Cross identities Ashtray Frank and Fatty and Skinny Steve who worked at Porkys and the Love Machine. He was the focus of the Pandora police taskforce in 1996 and charged in relation to $1.7 million worth of stolen property. The charges were dropped.
Last year the Queensland Department of Fair Trading fined him $5000 for selling hardcore items that had been refused classification in any state.
Last week Cronulla faced calls for the resignation of its chairman, Barry Pierce, who was the highest official travelling with Matthew Johns and other players to Christchurch. This latest in-house revelation has put the club and senior officials under further intense scrutiny about attitudes to women.
Last night when questioned at a news conference about the incident with Ms Hall, Mr Zappia said he felt "empty, frustration, anger".
"I feel for my wonderful family at home who continue to see me under these conditions."
Last night he sent a text message to the Herald about the sex toys. "The club has not provided those items to players." He also said the club did not have any sponsors "of that nature".
http://www.leaguehq.com.au/news/lhqnews/the-punch-that-cost-20000/2009/05/20/1242498807986.html
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