‘Extremely damaging’: Players’ association boss blasts video leaks

The Rugby Union Players' Association (RUPA) has blasted the recent string of leaked videos for their potential threat to athletes' mental health as Kurtley Beale escaped sanction over his involvement in a second video.

RUPA chief executive Prataal Raj warned of the "extremely damaging" flow-on effects of the release of  two old videos that appear to show Beale in the company of people using what appear to be illicit drugs.

Bad look: Kurtley Beale escaped sanction despite a second video appearing to show him in the presence of illicit drugs. Credit:AAP, Nine News

Raj said players faced uncertainty and fear over what may or may not be released in the future, a precarious position that could have untold mental and emotional side effects.

"It’s wrong that third parties look to profit off private material, whether the content contains professional sports people or not," Raj said.

"The high-profile nature of athletes’ professions places them under greater scrutiny than most other members of society. The immense pressure that the release, actual or threatened, of content such as this can have on athletes and their families is unhealthy, and potentially extremely damaging for their wellbeing.

"RUPA will continue to educate and remind all players (both on entry to the professional ranks and on an on-going basis) around the risks associated with appearing in content that then may then appear online and in the media, and importantly will continue to prioritise players’ welfare if they’ve been affected by this behaviour."

Beale, who was in New Zealand filming a commercial for a personal sponsor, had a telephone conversation with Rugby Australia's Head of Integrity Gerard McEvilly on Friday but escaped punishment.

It was Beale and McEvilly's second conversation this week after the 83-Test playmaker was first captured in a video taken by former Roosters player Corey Norman that showed him laughing at an older man who appeared to be using drugs.

RA stood by their decision not to take any disciplinary action against the Wallabies star as the videos are three and four years old and do not show Beale undertaking any illegal activity.

"These videos serve as a warning to every professional rugby player in Australia of the risks associated with placing themselves in compromising situations, particularly in environments where illicit drugs may be present," RA chief Raelene Castle said.

"Kurtley returned from a brief trip to New Zealand yesterday and has spoken with Rugby Australia’s Integrity Unit in relation to the second video. Following this conversation, Rugby Australia has determined not to proceed with any formal disciplinary action over Kurtley’s appearance in the videos.

"These videos were recorded a number of years ago, and Kurtley has again stressed his regret at placing himself at significant risk and for the damage the videos have caused to the image of both himself and the sport."

Crucially, the videos do not appear to have upset his sponsors, including Jaguar Land Rover, who were understood to be standing by him on Friday.

Nevertheless it has been a far from ideal start to the year for a sport in need of a circuit breaker.

With a World Cup on the horizon and the coaching dramas and poor results that dogged the Wallabies just beginning to disappear in the rearview mirror, Beale's party cameos, no matter how old, are a very bad look at a vulnerable time.

On the back of the Dylan Napa videos, the source of which remains unknown, the Beale films will have struck fear into the hearts of many athletes. Their off-season exploits, presumably behind them, may not be now.

Rugby is in the process of modernising its drug-testing regime, looking to move to a program of hair-follicle tests that can reveal a player's drug activity from the previous three months.

The Herald revealed on Friday that RA had been discussing the change with RUPA for at least the past 12 months as part of their collective bargaining agreement (CBA) talks.

While no agreement has been locked in, it is understood both organisations are keen for the tests to go ahead and that the Beale dramas will have no bearing on the potential trial.

Under RA’s illicit drugs policy, as agreed to in the CBA, if players test positive they are given a first warning, meaning the club and others are not notified. A second strike results in an automatic suspension.

Wallabies James Slipper and Karmichael Hunt have both fallen foul of the policy, and RA's Code of Conduct, in recent years.

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