Andy Haden resigns as a RWC Ambassador

BY DAVID GADD

Former All Black Andy Haden has resigned as an official ambassador for the Rugby World Cup.

Mired in his second controversy over inappropriate comments, Mr Haden today handed his resignation to World Cup Minister Murray McCully - widely tipped to be ready to sack Haden anyway from his role as an honorary Ambassador of the Government's 2011 Rugby World Cup programme.

But he had fallen short of apologising for his comments - blaming the furore on a media beat up.

Mr Haden, appearing as a panelist on Sky Sports' Deaker on Sport on Wednesday, claimed some women "targeted" prominent rugby players then labelled the result as rape in order to get money.

The comments come just a month after he claimed the Canterbury Crusaders had a limit on Polynesian players, and referred to them as "darkies".

Mr McCully made it clear yesterday that Haden's job was on the line, saying he was disappointed by the controversy.

Mr Haden's role as a "shock jock" was incompatible with his role promoting the Rugby World Cup.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday that it would be "counter-productive" for him to comment until Mr McCully had spoken to Haden.

However Mr McCully said today he had accepted the resignation "with sadness".

"While it had been my intention to discuss this matter with Mr Haden later today, I have, in the interim, received an email from Andy Haden relinquishing his position as a 2011 Ambassador. I have accepted his resignation and thanked him for his excellent contribution to our 2011 programme.

In his email to the minister, Mr Haden said he was resigning "to ensure that neither your leveraging initiatives or the game of rugby that I love are compromised by the current media backlash to the comments I have made on television recently."

"I feel that to stay in the role, given the current media beat-up, would mean having to remove myself from making public comments on the game or related issues.  I have always believed in saying what I think and I will always be true to myself in that regard and it's a sad day for society when people such as I are unable to express what we believe without a media beat-up from those with sectional interests," Mr Haden said.

Before going to ground late yesterday, Haden said he was not suggesting women who were put in compromising situations with sportsmen deserved what happened - but "the consequences of having that objective put them at risk".

He was commenting on historic sex allegations against former All Black Robin Brooke, made by two unnamed women, one of whom subsequently laid a complaint with police.

"All I know is that he was asked for $1500 by the group...so does that make them lily white?"

Rape victim support groups and one of Haden's fellow ambassadors - Michael Jones - condemned Haden's views.

Jones said he was "taken aback" by Haden's remarks. "It's quite an out-there statement to make."

Wellington Sexual Abuse Help Foundation spokeswoman Helen Sullivan said Haden's comments were inappropriate.

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