Denise Wilkinson feels unfairly targeted and will fight moves to push her out. Video / Alyse Wright, Jason Dorday
Denise Wilkinson has been suspended from all tournaments and lost her spot at the World Games in China.
The NZ Pool Association has cited “unsportsmanlike behaviour,” including refusing to shake hands and “defacing a trophy”.
Wilkinson plans to fight the suspension and has lodged a complaint with the World Pool Association.
New Zealand’s top female pool player has been suspended from all tournaments and lost the chance to play at the World Games in China in a decision she’s called “petty and extreme”.
Denise Wilkinson’s suspension is the latest development in a bitter and often bizarre rift between agroup of mainly female players, the country’s largest club Masse, and the governing body of cue sports, the Pool Association (NZPA).
“The suspension has caused me to lose a spot to the World Games that only comes around once every four years. It’s so unfair and I can’t seem to do anything about it,” she said.
Denise Wilkinson is the highest ranked female pool player in New Zealand. Organisers at a recent event made her wait in the carpark during gaps between play.
In the lead-up to her suspension, Wilkinson was playing in the NZPA-run Oceania tournament at Pukekohe, which she won.
However, when she arrived at the event this month, organisers made her wait in the carpark for much of the competition, only allowing her inside the venue when she had a scheduled match.
In a statement, NZPA president Zane Burnard said Wilkinson was asked to remain outside because of “frequent unsportsmanlike behaviour”, which often involved intimidating other players or speaking negatively about them.
Denise Wilkinson waiting in the carpark during an international tournament played in Auckland's Pukekohe.
“We will not tolerate any unprofessional behaviour from any player, especially those who represent New Zealand at a national or international level,” he told the Herald.
The claims are strongly rejected by Wilkinson, who said the allegations were “completely made up”.
An audio recording of a conversation between Burnard and Wilkinson during the Oceania competition indicates she was being excluded from the venue between her matches because Masse — the club that owns the venue — didn’t want her inside.
“I just got off the phone to Masse who didn’t want you in here between games,” Burnard said in the recording, given to the Herald.
When Wilkinson suggested it was ridiculous for the country’s leading female player to be waiting in the carpark during a major event, Burnard said the alternative was she “not play at all”.
The Herald revealed in October Wilkinson, with two other highly ranked female players, had been blacklisted from Masse venues amid claims of bullying and match-fixing.
Suspended for ‘refusing to shake president’s hand’
NZPA says Wilkinson was suspended for her continued unsportsmanlike behaviour – an allegation she denies.
Burnard said the decision to suspend Wilkinson was made because of her behaviour after she won the Oceania title.
He said she refused to shake his hand, “defaced” the trophy by removing NZPA sponsor logos and told the broadcaster she would use her speaking slot to criticise NZPA.
“Denise’s unprofessional conduct at the recent Oceania Champs was an example of her continued unsportsmanlike behaviour.”
Wilkinson admitted she didn’t shake Burnard’s hand and “picked a sticker off the trophy” because of how she’d been spoken to when Burnard suggested she either stay outside between matches or forgo the competition completely.
“I think that’s a disgusting thing to say to your best player in the association who’s just about to play a final against someone from Australia, and you’re telling me I shouldn’t play if I don’t want to stay in the carpark,” she said.
Denise Wilkinson has complained to the World Pool Association about being suspended.
Burnard said Wilkinson had enormous talent as a player, but NZPA was taking a hard line against players who violate expected behaviour.
Her suspension from all NZPA tournaments will continue while an investigation and disciplinary process is carried out.
“This suspension means NZPA will not nominate her for the upcoming World Games,” he said.
Wilkinson plans to fight the move by NZPA and has lodged a complaint with a player’s representative of the World Pool Association.
Meanwhile, since Wilkinson’s suspension and exclusion from the World Games, two major South Island clubs have announced they will no longer host any NZPA pool tournaments.
Bowley’s Pool Lounge and Bar in Dunedin said in a statement on Facebook it would not host any NZPA events or tournaments because “we do not support any mistreatment, bullying or harassment of any players”.
Pool Canterbury followed suit, announcing an end to hosting NZPA events for the “foreseeable future”.
Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won the best coverage of a major news event at the 2024 Voyager NZ Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald’s video team in July 2024.
