Unacceptable behaviour Mens rugby sevens team Olyroos accused of bad behaviour on flight home

Rugby Australia is investigating allegations of bad behaviour from the Australian men’s rugby sevens team on a rowdy flight home from the Tokyo Olympics that also could land members of Australia’s men’s soccer team, the Olyroos, in hot water.

The Australian Olympic Committee and Rugby Australia are aware of the alleged incident, which involves drunken behaviour during the Thursday evening flight back to Australia, according to sources with knowledge of the matter.

The rugby sevens team is being investigated.Credit:Getty Images

Sources say a number of players were heavily intoxicated and that vomit was left in a bathroom on the plane following a long drinking session.

AOC chief executive Matt Carroll said he had received reports from RA chief executive Andy Marinos and Football Australia boss James Johnson taking full responsibility for unacceptable behaviour from some athletes in the men’s rugby sevens and men’s soccer teams.

Carroll said there were athletes from a number of sports on the flight but the two football codes had advised him that they were taking full responsibility for their players.

“While there has been no formal complaint from the airline, unacceptable behaviour was brought to our attention and I directly raised the issue with our member sports’ CEOs,” Carroll said.

“It’s extremely disappointing but both rugby and football have told me that such behaviour is certainly not acceptable within their sports and have sincerely apologised to the Australian Olympic Team. The CEOs have undertaken to take the appropriate action and report back to us.”

RA is speaking to players and staff from the men’s program, who are quarantining in Sydney, about what occurred on the flight. The governing body had little information on Tuesday evening.

Senior rugby officials are extremely frustrated by the allegations of unruly behaviour on the flight, however, there is some conjecture as to whether it was the rugby players or soccer players who left vomit in the bathroom.

Players were understood to be loud and obnoxious, while sources say there could be issues identifying those at fault because the athletes were required to wear masks on the 10-hour flight home.

The flight departed Tokyo on Thursday night and landed in Sydney on Friday.

Australia’s men’s rugby team had a disappointing campaign after being knocked out in the quarter-finals by Fiji, following losses to Argentina and New Zealand. The team’s only victory in the pool stages came against South Korea.

RA issued a statement on Tuesday night about the allegations and will have more facts in the next 24 hours.

“Rugby Australia has been made aware of incidents involving the Australian men’s sevens program after being informed by the Australian Olympic Committee,” the statement read.

“Rugby Australia has begun its own internal investigation into the matter based on the information provided by the AOC.

“Rugby Australia expects the highest standards of all its employees, modelling the values of our game â€" respect, integrity, passion and teamwork.”

RA will wait for a report before handing down sanctions, if they are needed.

A spokesperson said Football Australia was investigating the matter.

“Football Australia is aware of reports regarding unacceptable behaviour of some athletes on board a flight from Tokyo to Sydney last Friday,” the spokesperson said.

“Football Australia is discussing the matter with the AOC and is taking the responsibility to investigate the involvement of any footballers.”

The allegations come after the men’s rowing and men’s rugby teams left a hole in the wall at the athletes’ accommodation while the two teams apologised to the AOC after cleaners had to mop up vomit and clean rooms that were left in an unacceptable state.

The AOC took no action over the wall damage, saying it was “easy to do”.

Sources have told the Herald and The Age that while rooms were left in a poor state, the hole in the wall occurred in a room that was being used as a team and physio space.

Two years ago, then RA boss Raelene Castle wrote an apology letter to World Rugby after the game’s governing body expressed concerns about the behaviour of some members of the Wallabies set-up, including head coach Michael Cheika, at the 2019 World Cup in Japan.

Members of the Japanese organising committee who were upset about the Australians’ behaviour conveyed their concerns about the attitude of some within the Wallabies group to World Rugby.

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Roy Ward is a Sports writer for The Age.

Tom Decent is a journalist with The Sydney Morning Herald

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