Two Articles from the West Australian today - neither good reading

http://www.thewest.com.au/default.as...ontentID=48316

Police probe alleged quokka abuse on Rotto
26th November 2007, 7:45 WST

Rottnest police are investigating claims Western Force players mistreated quokkas at the weekend.

The Rottnest Island Authority has confirmed it received a complaint from tourists that players from the State’s top rugby union team were “hammer throwing” the protected animals on Friday night.

It is understood the team were at a training camp at Rottnest’s Kingston Barracks when the alleged mistreatment occurred.

A Western Force spokesman said they were working with police.

Force: ARU knew of settlement
26th November 2007, 8:30 WST
www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=13

The Western Force insisted yesterday that the Australian Rugby Union helped facilitate a $16,000 payment to a South African assault victim to enable Wallabies Jeremy Paul and Matt Henjak to return to the republic without fear of arrest.

Paul was blamed for the nightclub incident during the ACT Brumbies’ 2004 tour to South Africa and local police served him with legal papers but Henjak subsequently admitted he was to blame.

South African authorities placed immigration conditions on both players which were lifted only when the Western Force, who recruited Henjak in 2005, paid $16,000 to settle the matter with the victim.

Force boss Peter O’Meara said yesterday the settlement was not secret, as claimed in a Sydney newspaper, but made with the consent of ARU executive Rob Clarke who, at the time of the assault, was chief executive of the Brumbies.

“We only became aware of the matter in early 2006, months after we had recruited Matt,” O’Meara yesterday. “The ARU briefed us on the circumstances and he (Clarke) told me I needed to sort it out. We needed Matt to be able to travel to South Africa and I said Rugby WA would fix it up on Matt’s behalf. At no stage was the payment hidden from the ARU.”

O’Meara confirmed the negotiation with the victim was done by Rugby Union Players’ Association head Tony Dempsey. Clarke has since stepped down as chief operating officer of the ARU. He could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

Henjak feared he would face arrest if he returned to South Africa with the Force in May last year if charges were not dropped. He travelled without restriction and started at scrum-half in the Force’s first Super 14 win, over the Cheetahs at Kimberley.

The Force board will meet this afternoon to discuss the avalanche of negative publicity about the club and decide whether to proceed with civil action against former chief financial officer David Round alleging breaches of confidentiality.

The Force have asked Round to agree by 5pm to certain conditions or they will sue him. Round’s solicitors have previously said the allegations would be denied.

O’Meara denied knowledge of an alleged assault at a Darling Harbour bar earlier this year involving Force players. He said he had questioned those who went out after the Super 14 draw with the Waratahs in Sydney last March and all denied the claim, which NSW police are investigating.

DAVE HUGHES

Oh dear, when I heard the team was headed for Rotto for the weekend in a "convoy" of boats and then realised it was also schoolies weekend I was fearing the possible headlines but did not think they would be this stupid.

Unamed sauces tell me that the trip was organised by ET Mining - The Perth Spirit sponsors.

i still havent read my copy of "The West" yet, but that Quokka Story is definately not going to be good reading

A Ranger from Rottnest said on the TV news that I was watching last night that, while there was a complaint, there was no evidence, like injured quokkas.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ecky

A Ranger from Rottnest said on the TV news that I was watching last night that, while there was a complaint, there was no evidence, like injured quokkas.

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I wonder if an ex Force CFO was on the Island at the time?:eek:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by brokendown gunfighter

I wonder if an ex Force CFO was on the Island at the time?:eek:

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I expect that Force1, I mean David Round was meeting with his lawyers all weekend.

It is rumoured Rugby WA paid off a couple of the Quokkas after the alleged incident.

Maybe the tourists got mixed up and saw the Force boys Hammer Throwing some Dockers.

It would be an easy mistake to make :iconrofl::iconrofl:

Are they sure they weren't just "conditioning" the Junior Wallabies?

Bah...great start to the pre-season... *sigh*

perhaps they were throwing around hammered schoolies?

More on the quokka story

Force in Quokka throwing claims


November 26, 2007

BIZARRE allegations of animal cruelty involving Western Force players during a weekend bonding session on Rottnest Island have heaped more pressure on the scandal-hit Super 14 club.

After lurid weekend headlines involving allegations of assault, secret hush payments and bitter legal feuding, the Force are now answering questions about an alleged incident with a quokka, the island's indigenous marsupial.

A protected species, around 10,000 of the protected animals live on the island - and reports last night surfaced of players possibly mistreating one of them on Friday night.

The club will hold an all-in meeting to quiz players about what happened during the barbecue.

While police said they were investigating reports of some "inappropriately dealing" with quokkas, they also said initial media reports of players throwing an animal may have been exaggerated.

"There has been an allegation that a couple of Western Force players were inappropriately dealing with quokkas on the weekend," said Sgt Brian Cowie of WA police media.

"The rangers are supposed to be looking into it, along with the department of environment and conservation - we will be assisting them."

The team was at a bonding camp at Rottnest on Friday and Saturday, and team manager Richard Trend said players would all be asked their version of events.

Trend also said a serious misconduct tribunal could be held, and disciplinary measures would be taken if any allegation was proved.

"They admit something did happen, but the police have only got one verbal allegation, and that is that quokkas were handled. I haven't heard any evidence of (throwing an animal) happening. The information I have is that there were no cruel handling of quokkas. "

"The police have asked me to identify the players, and we will take it from there.
Anything to do with quokkas is serious so we certainly won't be sweeping this under the carpet."

if you have a look at the rugby heaven site it now has been changed the story new article

saying ppl intereacting or whathave you so it prob wasnt even force players.

re schoolies arent allowed on the island until today. they have the islnad mon to fri only they wouldnt of been able to get accomodation if schoolies were there.

RugbyWA press release here...

police have no reports of injured quokkas, four players picked them up which does carry a fine but none were throw or treated badly.....


as told on howard sattler