Sex scandal rocks the National Rugby League

Agence France-Presse

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National Rugby League chief executive David Gallop apologized publicly for what he called the "harrowing" treatment of women described in the ABC's "Four Corners" investigative program on Monday night.

"I repeat my apology on behalf of the game for the pain those women experienced. Violence against women is abhorrent and sexual assault and the degradation of women is just that," he said in a statement.

"So much of what we saw last night was fundamentally indefensible and if anyone in the game today is ignoring the importance of that message then frankly they will need to find another career," Gallop said.

A New Zealand woman at the center of one of the sex allegations against players from Australia's Cronulla club said her life had been destroyed by a group sex ordeal.

Six men had sex with her in a hotel seven years ago while another six looked on, she said, her face and voice disguised. Psychiatrists reported that the woman, who was 19 years old at the time, had become suicidal.

"I was so angry and I wanted their lives destroyed like mine was," she said on the program. "If I had a gun I'd shoot them right now. Every time I looked up, there would be more and more people in the room and there's lots of guys in the room watching, maybe two or three that were on the bed that were doing stuff to me."

Ex-Cronulla star Matthew Johns has admitted involvement in the incident but he went up to the woman in the car park and apologized about the other men coming into the room.

"It caused all parties enormous pain and embarrassment," said Johns. "For me personally, it has put my family through enormous anguish and embarrassment and it has once again. For that I can't say sorry enough."

Sports writer Roy Masters said in his book "Bad Boys" group sex had been used as a means of "team bonding" but told the program he believed those days were over. "I don't think it plays any role at all now," he said. "But in the past there could be little doubt that a girl might've accommodated three or four players."