'Rampant temptation' in the All Blacks arena says former player's Luke McAlister's ex-wife

Brooke Daji, spoke to <i>Story</i> following the news of Aaron Smith's tryst and gave an insight into just how tough it might be for an All Black to stay on the straight and narrow.

"Temptation" is rampant in the All Blacks arena says the ex-wife of a former All Black who knows all too well what it's like to lose her man to another woman.

Brooke Daji, spoke to Story following the news of Aaron Smith's bathroom tryst and gave an insight into just how tough it might be for an All Black to stay on the straight and narrow.

"Nothing surprises me in the rugby world with some of the things I've seen and lived," she said of Smith's act.

Daji was married to Luke McAlister, but left him in 2007 after discovering he'd cheated on her - just months after their wedding.

Luke McAlister and former wife Brooke pictured in March 2007.

She told Story, in an interview aired on TV3 yesterday evening, life as an All Black's wife was not all roses and sunshine.

"It wasn't, it was sh*t."

Daji said even having a ring on her former husband's finger did nothing to keep the fan girls away - with some having the gall to propose indecent acts right before her.

"So much so, probably should have started charging for it," she told Story. "Girls act crazy when it comes to famous boys."

She said it would be tough for an All Black to turn down so many proposals.

"There's temptation out there for everybody, but for those boys it's so much more heightened.

"People say you shouldn't cheat on your partner anyway, but they are not faced with the temptations those boys are faced and I've seen it first-hand...it's a slippery slope."

She said Smith's actions were a big deal - but at the end of the day you couldn't teach people not to cheat.

"You can teach them wrong from right, but at the end of the day people make their own decisions," Daji said. "If they are going to do it, they are going to do it."

The former All Black's wife believed because many of the All Blacks got away with their affairs they thought they could keep getting away scot free.

"I think being an All Black you have to be a little bit selfish, to be the best you can be at your game, mentally as well as physically."

However, Daji told Story judgers shouldn't be so quick to jump to condemnation.

"Being married to Luke the one thing I learnt is that you just don't know what it's like until you are in that arena."

She said people needed to think about what they'd do in the All Blacks' shoes.

"And you can't answer what you would do as you are not in that position."