Share

Smith escapes with warning over toilet tryst

Wellington - All Blacks scrumhalf Aaron Smith has escaped with a formal warning for "inconsistencies" in his claims about what happened during his highly publicised airport toilet tryst, New Zealand Rugby bosses said on Saturday.

It is the second warning Smith has received since he was caught emerging with a woman from a toilet cubicle at a busy Christchurch airport as the All Blacks prepared to fly to South Africa in August last year.

The 68-Test scrumhalf was initially warned for "serious misconduct" after an investigation in which he was said to have been "genuine, honest and incredibly remorseful".

But the inquiry was reopened this year when the woman at the centre of the affair claimed Smith offered her money to lie in a legal affidavit that they did not have sex in the toilet.

The woman told reporters she had been involved in an affair with Smith for two years after the player had said it was a "one-off incident".

New Zealand Rugby (NZR) said its latest investigation concluded "there were some inconsistencies" between Smith's account at the time and the later information but "this did not have any material impact on the outcome of the original hearing".

"Being honest, particularly in a disciplinary proceeding, is critically important for any employer and that is certainly the case with NZR," NZR chief executive Steve Tew said.

"To reinforce this point, we have issued Aaron Smith with a formal written warning."

Tew said NZR considered the matter now closed and would not be making any further comment.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE