England’s Ojo and Brown guilty of misconduct

TOPSY OJO and Mike Brown have been found guilty of misconduct during England’s ill-fated tour to New Zealand.

But the Rugby Football Union’s internal investigation into events in Auckland on June 14 has cleared David Strettle and Danny Care of any wrongdoing.

Ojo was fined £500 (€625) and reprimanded after he was found to have stayed out all night.

Brown was fined £1,000 (€1,300) and reprimanded for staying out all night and arriving late for a physio appointment.

The RFU’s chief disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett, who conducted the inquiry, also warned both players that in future they are not to put themselves in any compromising situations which may bring the game into disrepute.

Ojo, Brown, Care and a fourth, unnamed, player were at the centre of sex allegations following England’s 37-20 defeat by the All Blacks but no official complaint was made against the players, who denied any wrongdoing.

Blackett maintained Strettle had no involvement in the incident at all and was not on the list of people New Zealand police wanted to interview.

In his report published this yesterday, Blackett said: “All the players I have interviewed vehemently deny any criminal wrongdoing.

“I have seen or heard no evidence which has been tested to gainsay those denials.”

The woman at the centre of the allegations last week confirmed she would not be making a formal police complaint in order to avoid the “extensive and invasive news media” that would “threaten her privacy and personal life”.

Blackett, noting her desire to protect her privacy, had no direct contact with the complainant during his investigation and was thus unable to test her allegations.

But he found independent evidence provided by witnesses unconnected with the allegations that corroborated much of the four players’ own account of what happened.

England’s management — led by director of elite rugby Rob Andrew — were heavily criticised following the night in Auckland but Blackett refused to blame them for any perceived misconduct.

The RFU’s disciplinary chief stressed that the players were entitled to “let off steam away from public scrutiny”.

However, Blackett stated that there is a “need for a tighter rein on players when they are on England duty and they all need to be given clear guidelines about the limits of acceptable behaviour”. While Blackett reiterated he could find no evidence to support the complainant’s allegations, he declared the players’ conduct was unsuitable for professional sportsmen.

Blackett summarised: “This case has boiled down to no more than errors of judgement by young players on their first or second major international tour which are insufficient in themselves to effect future England selection.

“No doubt in the past England players on tour have stayed out too late, drunk excessive quantities of alcohol, invited guests back to the team hotel and missed physiotherapist appointments or training the next morning.

“But such activity is now inconsistent with the life of an elite professional rugby player in the modern era and with membership of a team seeking to be the best in the world.”