Tim Glover: Lessons of an exercise in damage limitation

Judge Blackett's report offers a revealing insight into what really happens off the field on major rugby tours

The Harlequins full-back, Mike Brown, is one of four players who denied any assault on England's recent tour of New Zealand (Getty Images)

Mike Brown, the Harlequins full-back, and Topsy Ojo, the London Irish wing, were yesterday found guilty of misconduct on England's recent tour of New Zealand. Both were reprimanded and fined, the former £1,000 for staying out all night and then missing a physiotherapy appointment, and the latter £500 for staying out all night. An inquiry was launched after an 18-year-old woman complained of sexual assault. The players denied any assault and the report said that no evidence had been found to conflict with the denials.

His Honour Judge Jeff Blackett, the Rugby Football Union's disciplinary officer, conducted the inquiry into the case of the so-called Auckland Four and exonerated the other two defendants, David Strettle and Danny Care. Judge Blackett, whose background is the Royal Navy as well as rugby, is a man of the world. "It has been said that this sort of activity has occurred on rugby tours from time immemorial," he noted, "and that it may be hypocritical to take disciplinary action today. However, players must constantly remind themselves that they now have high public profiles."

Higher public, professional profiles, but they were always in the limelight – although not in the ferocious glare of the modern media. Children have been fathered in almost every major rugby-playing country by visiting players. Flings, affairs, one-night stands? From time immemorial.

This case, of course, has gone beyond players letting their hair down after a mauling by the All Blacks, and Judge Blackett has attempted to conduct not only an investigation but an exercise in damage limitation. There had been no specific code of conduct on the tour or rules about drinking or prohibition about inviting guests back to rooms. And there was no curfew. The rules are about to change.

A new code of conduct will be introduced, limiting post-match behaviour and Martin Johnson, the new England team manager who was not present in New Zealand for the two-Test debacle, has said it will be "top of the agenda" when the elite squad meets for a five-day training camp next month. "It is one of the things we will discuss," Johnson added. "Players will be under no illusions as to where their responsibilities lie."

The cause célèbre was triggered by a visit, or tour, of Auckland's nightspots following England's defeat there to New Zealand on 14 June. After a post-match meal at the Hilton Hotel, where the squad was based, some of the players went to the Pasha Bar where Brown and Ojo met the "complainant". Drinks were on the tab. They went to another bar, the Degree, where again England players did not have to put their hands in their pockets, and moved on to the Pony Club. Members of the victorious All Blacks were drinking there.

This was where Ojo and the "complainant" kissed and Brown got her mobile-phone number and they followed her to another late-night haunt, the Spy Bar. It was after they returned to the Hilton that the teenager, who visited Brown's room, made a complaint which the Auckland Police described as being of a "serious sexual assault". No charge was made against the players.

"All the players I have interviewed vehemently denied any criminal wrongdoing and I have seen or heard no evidence which has been tested to gainsay those denials," Blackett reported.

"Late on Sunday evening one of the young women sought medical intervention at a hospital in Auckland. In the course of receiving treatment she made a disclosure to medical staff that she was sexually violated by four playing members of the England rugby team."

The information was passed on to the sexual abuse team which is part of the criminal investigation branch of the New Zealand police. The woman made an allegation of "sexual abuse/rape" but there was no formal complaint.

Blackett ruled that Strettle and Care, Harlequins team-mates, were no more guilty of "popping their heads around an unlocked interconnected door" to remind Brown of a rehabilitation appointment.

"There needs to be a tighter rein in the future and it's most important for very young players who do not have the life skills to cope with sudden stardom," Blackett said. He added that "errors of judgement have been made" and that "lessons have been learnt."

There was also a sharp slap on the wrists for the press whose "irresponsible reporting has done more to damage the image of England rugby than any actual events." Blackett referred to a "trial by media" and for future tours it is likely that the press will not be allowed to stay in the same hotel as the players – or whoever is visiting them in the early hours of the morning.

The Auckland Four: How they progressed to the England team

Mike Brown

* Born 4 September 1985, in Southampton, and attended Peter Symonds College.

* Represented Dorset & Wiltshire at all age groups from Under-14 to Under-18 level before selection for South-west Under-18s.

* Joined Harlequins for the 2002-03 season, playing for their Under-19 and Under-21 sides before scoring a try on his first XV debut in a pre-season match against London Irish on 12 August 2005.

* Named Harlequins Young Player of the Year for 2005-06 and Player of the Year the following season.

* The full-back was part of the England Under-21 Six Nations Grand Slam winning team in 2006 and played for the England Saxons in the 2007 and 2008 Six Nations.

* Made his full international debut against South Africa in May 2007 before being selected again by Martin Johnson for this summer's New Zealand tour.

Danny Care

* Born 2 January 1987 in Leeds.

* Chose to play rugby in spite of being signed by Sheffield Wednesday's academy at the age of 11.

* After playing for England Schools and Otley, he joined the academy at Leeds Tykes in 2003.

* Made his Premiership debut in September 2005 away to Saracens.

* Represented England at sevens, winning a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne in 2006.

* Left Leeds for Harlequins in the summer of 2006. During the 2007 World Cup, Care was given an extended run in the first team.

* Played in his first game for England against the Barbarians at Twickenham in June. His first cap was as a replacement in the first Test against New Zealand.

David Strettle

* Born 23 July 1983 in Lymm, Cheshire.

* A talented footballer, he was on the books of Manchester City, Liverpool and Crewe Alexandra before deciding to focus on rugby.

* Made his debut for Rotherham in 2003, scoring a hat-trick. Made his Premiership debut against Bath in October of the same year.

*In the 2004-05 season he was Rotherham's top try-scorer, with 18 in 22 appearances.

* Represented England in the IRB World Sevens Series the following season.

* Joined Harlequins in the summer of 2006.

* Made his full England debut against Ireland in the Six Nations in 2007 as a replacement for the injured Jason Robinson. Scored England's only try in a 43-13 defeat at Croke Park.

* Named as the Professional Rugby Players' Association Young Player of the Year in May 2007.

* Nicknamed "Ducks" at Harlequins after the legendary English centre David Duckham, due to his running style and long blond hair.

Topsy Ojo

* Born 28 July 1985, in Tottenham, London, and attended Dartford Grammar School.

* Captained his school's first XV and represented Kent and London & South-East Schools at both Under-16 and Under-18 level.

* The winger joined the London Irish academy in July 2003 and made his first-team debut against Bristol in September 2005.

* Represented England at Under-19 level and played for the Saxons before being selected in the full side's tour party to New Zealand this summer.

* Made his debut starting in the first Test in Wellington on 14 June, scoring two tries in the 37-20 defeat, a performance that meant he retained his place for the second match in Christchurch.