'I want them dead', NZ woman says of Cronulla players

SYDNEY - A New Zealand woman who had group sex with Cronulla rugby league players - including television personality Matthew Johns - in a Christchurch hotel seven years ago says she "wants them dead".

The woman, who was referred to as Claire (not her real name), sobbed as she told the ABC's Four Corners programme how the night at the Racecourse Hotel turned ugly and had ruined her life.

"If I had a gun I'd shoot them right now. I hate them, they're disgusting. I want them dead, I hate them so much," she said, her face blacked out.

She was speaking on the documentary entitled Code of Silence about players' attitudes towards women and a spate of off-field incidents which have tarnished the sport in recent years.

The incident happened during Cronulla's pre-season trip to Christchurch to play the Warriors in 2002.

'Claire', at the time a 19-year-old student who worked part-time as a waitress at the hotel where the team were staying, said she went to a room with two players, one of whom was Johns.

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

She said more players began appearing in the room. She told the programme she eventually had sex with six players in a two-hour period, and up to 12 were in the room at one time.

"There were always hands on me. If one person would stop, someone was touching me doing something else. There was never a point where I was not being handled," she said.

"Every time I looked up there would be more and more people in the room, lots and lots of guys in the room watching, maybe two or three on the bed that were doing stuff to me."

She complained to Christchurch police five days later, but after they crossed the Tasman to interview all 30 players and 12 officials who made the trip, no charges were laid.

Claire told the programme she felt "worthless", that the incident had mentally scarred her and she became a recluse in the next "four to five years".

"I was drinking a lot, crying a lot and losing a lot of friends. Doing quite destructive things to myself and to other people.

"I tried to (study) but I couldn't. I just thought I was a useless person. I didn't care about anything, didn't really care what was happening."

The programme said a psychiatrist paid for by ACC diagnosed her as suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, that she had cut her wrists and had purchased a length of rope.

Claire said she didn't think about the incident any more, but her reasons for going on the programme were simple.

"I wanted at least their wives or girlfriends to know what they'd done, at the very least. I only wanted them to know because I was so angry and I wanted their lives destroyed like mine was."

Johns admitted involvement in the incident last week, but said she gave her consent.

He told the programme he confessed to his wife Trish at the time and said it caused "great pain" to her and their family. He issued a public apology in a written statement, and on the Footy Show last week.

"It put my family through enormous anguish and embarrassment, and has once again, and for that I can't say sorry enough."

A Channel Nine spokesman said Johns would remain on air.

Johns is the star of Channel Nine's Footy Show and famous for playing the boof-head character Reg Reagan.

He was the face of the NRL's membership campaign this year.

National Rugby League chief executive David Gallop, on behalf of the game, issued an apology for the New Zealand and other incidents.

"The distress of the victims spoke for itself and to the extent that the game can apologise for the actions of individuals then I offer that apology unreservedly," he wrote in the statement released after the programme.

He said the programme "dealt with issues that I would hope everyone in the game finds appalling and unacceptable".

"It is important, however, to understand the very substantial efforts the NRL, the clubs and the players have made in changing attitudes, particularly since 2004.

"It is also important to recognise the clear actions taken by the NRL and our clubs against those who breach our codes of conduct."

- NZPA, AAP