Michael Burgess: Crusaders' response the worst part of lockdown breach

Crusaders players after winning their Super Rugby match. Crusaders v Waratahs. Trafalgar Park, Nelson, New Zealand. Saturday 1 February 2020. Photo: Chris Symes / www.photosport.nz

Let's not completely lose the plot over a group of Crusaders training together during the lockdown period.

On the scale of stupid things done by sportsmen over the last decade it wouldn't even nudge inside the bottom quarter, especially recalling some of the drunken antics of rugby, league and cricket players over the years.

And in terms of public health, it's not as dangerous as the ongoing parties that seem to be springing up at several backpacker lodges around the country.

But right now it's a bad look — a really bad look — given all the repeated advice and warnings, and the nationwide feeling that 'we are in this together'.

What happened on Monday probably had to occur at some stage, as professional athletes, especially those in team sports, are mentally and physically tuned to training almost every day, as much for the aerobic benefits as the banter among the group.

But the worst part is what has happened since the incident.

A weird PR release by the Crusaders, which didn't seem to take much ownership at all.

There were just excuses, and talk about the players living close to the park involved.

And that the group only comprised of "three bubbles", with one player training individually, while they all made a "conscious effort" to observe physical distancing.

Then the best part — that there had been no pre-arranged meeting and it was all just a coincidence that the players ended up in the park at the same time.

It was like something out of Catch-22, or some of the lines that are spun by Donald Trump's ever –resourceful and always-changing PR team.

We just didn't need to hear that kind of bunk right now, even if some of it was actually true.

All we needed was an apology, something like this:

"We are sorry, and the players are sorry. It was highly disrespectful in the current climate, especially to all those Kiwis working so hard to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, from the Prime Minister and Ashley Bloomfield to all the doctors and nurses, as well as all the frontline workers who are sacrificing so much.

Richie Mo'unga was filmed training with Crusaders team mates and breaking the lockdown rules. Video / Newshub

There are no excuses and it won't happen again."

Instead, unfortunately, the Crusaders' response has come across as highly arrogant, evoking memories of the bad old times where Rugby seemed to think it could follow different rules, within all levels of society.

Those days have mainly moved on now, with former All Black captain Kieran Read setting a wonderful example during his tenure.

It was a relief too that New Zealand Rugby didn't follow the candy floss tone of the Super Rugby franchise in their response, with CEO Mark Robinson telling it like it is, labelling the players' actions "unacceptable".

And All Black Richie Mo'unga, who is the most prominent of the players who were training, issued an extended statement on his social media on Tuesday morning, and now seems genuinely contrite, which is a good sign.

A lot of us would love to be playing tennis today, or golf, or cricket, or kicking a football around with a few mates, especially as this golden late summer weather flows on.

But we have accepted that we can't, even if it is a bit frustrating.

The Crusaders' players actions, even if they were just naive and ignorant, will also be disappointing for all the other Kiwi professional athletes who are following the Government's guidelines to the letter at the moment, even if they don't have to.

Many of our top rowers live together in the same flats around Cambridge, and could have met up for a few sessions up and down Lake Karapiro, or even jumped in a single scull boat for some solitary lengths.

But they agreed it wasn't a good look, nor following the principles of the lockdown, and have instead been grinding away on Ergs and stationary bikes to maintain some fitness and form.

It's the same with our kayaking team.

There was nothing to stop individual members, in theory, including triple Olympic medallist Lisa Carrington, having a paddle on Lake Pupuke to keep up with their unforgiving training schedules.

But the group decided that it wouldn't be setting the right example and have made the sacrifice.

It's something the Crusaders players will no doubt be doing from now on, hopefully meaning their spin doctors won't need to be employed again, given there are only two weeks of the lockdown window to go.