A NIGHT of fun seven years ago has cost a former rugby player his job and his self-respect.

In 2002, while Australian National Rugby League (NRL) team Cronulla Sharks were in New Zealand for a promotion tour, sports personality Matthew Johns, who was playing with the team then, and five other team mates had sex with a 19-year-old waitress at a hotel in Christchurch, reported Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).

The men insisted that the sex was consensual, but the woman said otherwise.

She told Australia's Four Corners television show on 4 May that the incident was degrading.

On the day in question, the woman claimed she went back to a hotel with Mr Johns and another rugby player, but other players climbed into the room through a bathroom window and watched her having sex.

The woman, who did not want to be named, said: "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 were on the bed that were doing stuff to me.

"I only remember one player definitely, it was Matthew Johns. He laughed and he joked and was very loud and boisterous."

She went on to talk about the impact the incident had on her life, and added that she had suffered significant emotional trauma since then.

When he appeared on the show three days later, Mr Johns, a former Australian international rugby player-turned-commentator, confirmed he took part in the incident.

'Totally untrue'

But he denied that he was in the room the whole time, that he was the instigator and that the woman had been ignored after the incident.

He said: "That is totally untrue. On the night when she came back to the room, she was a willing participant in everything that occurred."

When he and the woman went to the hotel room, Mr Johns said he was unaware of other team-mates entering.

He said: "But when I noticed they did, I stopped and backed from it (having sex). She encouraged the players to come forward, she actually says: 'Someone come forward and have sex with me'.

"One player said he would, she said: 'No, no, anyone but you', and pointed to me, at which point I declined."

The woman said she reported the matter to the police.

Four New Zealand police officers went to Sydney in 2002 to interview Mr Johns and his team-mates, but no charges were laid.

Christchurch police inspector David Long said their original investigation was thorough and conclusive, and cleared all the players of wrongdoing.

He told the Brisbane Courier-Mail that no crime was committed and the matter would not be re-opened.

He added that the moral issues around group sex with a teenager were best left to commentators, and were not a matter for the police.

On Thursday, Mr Johns apologised to his family for the incident on Australian television station Nine Network's Footy Show, where he is a commentator.

He said: "For me personally, it (the incident) has put my family through enormous anguish and embarrassment. For that I can't say sorry enough.

"It happened seven years ago, it caused great pain to my wife and family when I told her in 2002. It took us a long time to get over it.

"It pains me they have to go through it again."

At that same show, Mr Johns said that he had not abused the woman but was guilty of infidelity to his wife and absolute stupidity.

At first, Nine Network and rugby team Melbourne Storm, where he is an assistant coach, said they would support Mr Johns through the ordeal.

But this week, it was reported that he had been relieved of his duties at the network indefinitely, and had quit his job at the rugby team.

Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd said he supported the decision. He said: "It's very important for sporting organisations across the country to show leadership in demonstrating proper respect towards women."

The boss of Channel Nine, Mr David Gyngell, said: "The fact is, whatever the arguments about the details of the New Zealand incident involving Cronulla players in 2002, the conduct and its aftermath was simply unacceptable, full stop.

"Therefore, I fully support the decisions which have been recently taken."

Mr Barry Pierce, the chairman of the Cronulla Sharks team, has asked all those involved in the sex scandal to apologise to the young woman.

"I am very sorry for the subsequent pain, but she was a willing participant."