KEY POINTS:
A woman who made sexual allegations against four England rugby players was "not crying and not at all distressed" when she left their hotel, the team's New Zealand manager told a Rugby Football Union (RFU) inquiry.
Hurricanes manager Tony Ward was tour manager for the team on their tour to New Zealand last month, during which allegations of sexual misconduct surfaced.
A woman invited to the Hilton Hotel in Auckland early on June 15 by England player Mike Brown subsequently later alleged she was sexually violated by four players.
The injuries she received caused the medical professionals treating her to refer her to police.
Brown and teammate Topsy Ojo were today found guilty of misconduct and fined by RFU disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett for their behaviour.
No action was taken against David Strettle and Danny Care, who were included in the initial complaint.
The complainant did not appear before the English disciplinary committee, did not lay a formal complaint with police, and has not talked to news media about the allegations because she wanted to maintain her privacy.
As such, the report into the incident concentrated on the players' version of events.
The inquiry was hampered by the complainant's insistence on privacy, though she had provided her police interview, Blackett said.
A "number" of players - some not involved in the alleged incident - and Ward had told the inquiry the woman was not at all distressed, "but a little embarrassed".
In evidence collected by Auckland law firm Russell McVeagh, Ward said he first met the complainant on the Wednesday before the test.
He was out with team management, when she had come up and introduced herself. He saw her working as a waitress the next night, but did not speak to her.
Ward next saw her at an Auckland bar after the June 14 test match, then at 9am at the team hotel the next morning, as he was mustering the side for a pool rehabilitation session.
"The complainant came out of the lift, came up to him and kissed him on the cheek," the report said.
"Tony Ward said he thought this a little strange because he hardly knew her - but he was able to observe that she was not crying and not at all distressed.
"She then left, he thought, to call a taxi."
A statement issued by the woman's lawyer on July 4, after intense news media speculation, said she was "sexually violated" by four members of the team.
The report said Brown and Ojo started talking to the woman at the Pasha bar after the test.
They moved on to Degree bar, where there was also a free tab for England players, then to the Pony Club.
At that point the woman left to go to a nightclub, having kissed Ojo and given her cellphone number to Brown.
Ojo and Brown joined her there an hour later after an exchange of text messages. Brown danced with her, kissed her, and invited her back to the team hotel, where they arrived at 7.30am.
Brown and the complainant went to one room, while Ojo went to his own room. Ojo went to a physiotherapy appointment at 8.15am, then woke Brown to remind him he also had an appointment.
Ojo stayed in Brown's room with the complainant, after Brown left. Brown was late for his appointment.
Strettle and Care briefly looked into the room, and reminded Ojo he was due in the hotel foyer at 9am.
Brown arrived back from the physiotherapist soon after, picked up his togs, and accompanied the complainant to the foyer, where she briefly spoke to Ward.
Strettle and Care said they had no involvement with the complainant, apart from when they looked in on her and Ojo.
There was no element of voyeurism and they were "actually quite embarrassed" to have disturbed them.
Glenda Hughes, the spokeswoman for the woman, told NZPA today her client was willing to leave the public to make up their own minds as to what took place.
"She will not be making herself available," Ms Hughes said.
"Her privacy is her No 1 priority, and she understands if she says anything that privacy is at risk."
Ojo was reprimanded and fined 500 pounds ($1330).
Brown was reprimanded and fined 1000 pounds for "staying out all night and missing a rehabilitation appointment with the physiotherapist".
No action was taken against Strettle, and Care was found not guilty of any misconduct.
- NZPA
