1
Crusaders star faces fresh allegations of inappropriate touching and spitting beer at woman in Cape Town
Crusaders and All Blacks first-five Richie Mo’unga is facing allegations from a Cape Town woman that he spat beer and touched her and her friends inappropriately at a bar in Cape Town over the weekend.
ADVERTISEMENT
These fresh allegations have surfaced in the wake of separate allegations of homophobic behaviour made by a Cape Town man against up to three Crusaders players at a McDonald’s following the Crusaders’ 19-all draw with the Stormers on Saturday, although head coach Scott Robertson claims star wing George Bridge was the only individual involved in a “selfie gone wrong”.
The woman and her friends were at Arcade bar in Cape Town on Saturday night when she said the incident took place, according to a report from Radio New Zealand.
“We got there and we noticed, I was actually telling my friends, these guys they look like New Zealanders, they look like either All Blacks or something,” she said.
“My friends and I were just standing, talking and then we just had… a lot of beer being spat at us and we looked and then my friend and I were shocked at what was happening, I told the guy ‘look here, that’s not okay, you don’t do that’ and he just flat out ignored us and walked away, he looked at us with a dead stare and just walked away.”
She claims a ‘friend’ of the player who spat on the group apologised to the woman and her friends, before they continued to dance.
“And then I noticed the guy behind me, and then he like pinched me on my bum and then as I was going to retaliate, my friend was like ‘no don’t, it’s not worth it’, leaving him and he just also had that like dead look on his face, he had no reaction…carried on partying, everything.”
ADVERTISEMENT
The group then decided to leave the bar because the woman said, “we were over it”.
“They clearly had no respect for anyone at that place, normally Arcade’s the place where we go to unwind and have fun with one another, but that was the worst experience so far.”
It wasn’t until the next day, after looking at an interview with the Sport Science Institute of South Africa, when the woman realised that the man at the bar was Mo’unga.
“I noticed this guy look really familiar, because it was an interview, and I told my friends ‘look… this guy’s from Arcade’.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Her friend also agreed that it was Mo’unga who was the man they had encountered the night beforehand.
“It is this guy because he has the exact same haircut, anyone can tell me yes it was dark, no I will never forget that face, I will never forget that face.”
The woman proceeded to message Mo’unga via Instagram to call him out for spitting on her and her friends.
A screenshot of the message suggests that Mo’unga acknowledged and apologised for the incident, saying he should have left well before everything happened.
“I’m really sorry for that I’m not aware that I did that,” he said.
“Obviously was intoxicated and should’ve gone home long before that stage, I’m sorry to you and your friends and want to assure you I don’t condone that behaviour and am sorry about that.”
The woman told RNZ it was the worst experience she’s had: “I’ve never been in such a position, I’ve never been violated, so for me it’s a first and I don’t know what to do.”
She said she decided to speak out about the incident after hearing about the allegations made against Crusaders players during the altercation at the McDonald’s outlet in Cape Town.
“I just feel like something needs to be done because, like I said, this is something small thing, it might be miniscule thing but then he does it again and he’s drunk and he does it again and it’s something way worse and that person maybe actually commits suicide or does something way worse than what I did, and then it’s another story.
“We always say ‘cut the bad while you can’.”
The Crusaders arrived back in Christchurch on Monday night ahead of their clash with the Blues on Saturday.
In other news:
Comments on RugbyPass
SBW’s bro’town commentary and lazy default to hyperbole should be ignored, a technical analyst he is not. Sotutu is a good player when games get goosey loosey, high skill set that fans of Zinzan recall with starry eyes. But you need power and mongrel at no8 in the Test arena and Sotutu gets found wanting there, much like Akira Ioane. No8’s like Zinzan and Ardie have bucketloads of mongrel and power and tenacity which allow the skill sets to flourish.
11 Go to commentsAn inside pass to attacker on the angle can make a drift defence look lead footed. Relies on fleet footed forward/s to get across from the breakdown. An argument for the smaller faster 7 perhaps?
3 Go to commentsSensational tackle. The reds one was late and rightly penalised. The other two were simultaneous with the pass. If nitpicking TMOs can’t find fault there clearly isn’t any.
1 Go to commentsBrumbies fully deserved their win on the back of their physicality and desire to control the ball. Xavier Numia, Asafo Aumua and Tyrel Lomax should be the ABs starting front row when we start our test schedule. They have “come of age” and have bested all they have faced as well as been dominant with ball in hand in making the gainline. With De Groot, Tamaiti Williams and Fletcher Newell backed up by Taukei'aho and Cody Taylor there's not an international front row that can trouble us. Can't wait to face the Boks over there, won't be no one point game this time.
5 Go to commentsKinda strange that he wasn’t with a premiership team or a higher level of rugby? Start playing late or something? With that kind of size and athleticism you’d think someone would have picked him up?
2 Go to commentsShows how much attitude matters. Last week the Brumbies got done, this week they dominated the tournament leaders, who were likely thinking they could cruise to victory.
5 Go to commentsA Turtle has more pace and leg drive than Owen Franks, so it’s a good thing he only had to run 90 metres for that try.
2 Go to commentsOh Tamati Tua was in the vastly over-rated Leon MacDonalds Blues system? Well, no wonder he was wasted, much like Emoni Narawa and Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens under MacDonald. now look at them. Good thing Tua isn’t eligible, the Aussies latch on to any player who isn’t tied down.
5 Go to commentsMark Telea is a lot of things, but a defensive juggernaut has never been one of them. There will be far bigger tests in that regard for the youngster.
11 Go to commentsLove and respect to Fiji but not a chance outside of 7s
4 Go to commentsGood summation Ned. Agree the Canes were out-muscled for once (except at the scrum!) by a focused Brumbies outfit. Tua deserves consideration for higher honors after the way he humbled Jordie and the Canes defense. Thankfully, his lack of eligibility for Oz keeps him from Joe’s plans. While I also agree the injuries affected the Canes performance, some players seemed to lack focus and intensity for this match. Perhaps after the Blues demolished the Brumbies, they thought it was going to be easy? A good reminder that any slip up in preparation can have a big affect on the result. Brumbies deserved that win.
5 Go to commentsKarl Dixon should never have been appointed this fixture, absolute disgrace, He’s not much of a referee anyway, didn't have the balls to send his mate care off
5 Go to commentsBrilliant article! Harry of 8/9
3 Go to comments‘UK athletes' have been in the NFL from the start.
2 Go to commentsIt’s going to be Scott Barrett. He’s the coaches mate and captain of a previously elite team. Ardie a great option but scooter has worked with the coach and Ardie still as big a leader as needed.
23 Go to commentsI commend Colin Scotts bio All Balls. He was the first Aussie to make it to NFL. But he was poached and did a full apprenticeship at the University of Hawaii. He was 130kgs surfed played 1st grade cricket etc. big guy by normal but not NFL standards and a top athlete. Even then the nfl were picking up Tongans and Samoans for their natural size and explosive power. They want explosive power not cardio from the big boys so a guy like Taniela Tupou would have been good if picked up young enough. He has fast twitch and they’d bulk the little lad up and give him something to do. soccer teams set up academies and look for Over Sara’s talent eg Messi was at Barcelona since a teenager and harry kewell went to Leeds as a teenager like 16 or something.
11 Go to commentsThe article alludes to the fact that this isn’t about picking a captain. But picking a great captain. So who would make for a great All Black captain - not just an obvious or safe shoo-in? I’m not sure Ardie’s the guy and Barret doesn’t stand out either.
23 Go to commentsI guess we may all agree on the fact, that the ABs and Boks are the two in contest for No 1 in rugby history (the triple-A sort of) …. the Wallabies, England and France are the next tier, with Ireland being the new kid in town (AA) …. in my view it makes little sense creating imaginary competitions (unless you have too much time to waste)
45 Go to commentsWhat a joke. Total joke and the pundits commentating, all of whom know a bit about the game, could barely disguise their contempt. Reaching for the card then pulling back when he realised a red card would carry further match suspensions is simply not his decision to make. A clear and obvious influence on the outcome of this match and indeed, the championship path.
5 Go to commentsI like the idea, in NZ the Ranfurly Shield and NPC coexist, both having their own bragging rights. The World Cup would be the pinnacle, but the competition and travels of these trophies would be interesting.
45 Go to comments