Hurricanes captain Ardie Savea has criticised two journalists for their reportage of an alcohol-related incident involving fellow All Black Josh Ioane and his Highlanders teammates.
Ioane was stood down by the Highlanders, alongside five other players – Daniel Lienert-Brown, Marino Mikaele-Tu’u, Teariki Ben-Nicholas, Patelesio Tomkinson and Sione Misiloi – after police were called to a party at the house on Lochend Street, Musselburgh on Friday night, following their loss to the Hurricanes.
‘There’s six guys who are unavailable through letting the team down around their standards; broke the code that we live by and it’s all around their professional habits. They just let the team down, the leaders and the whole organisation, so they won’t be available for selection,’ Highlanders coach Tony Brown told media following his team announcement on Wednesday.
A subsequent investigative report published by reputable publication Stuff, revealed that the party was at Ioane’s residence and that noise control officers eventually being called to the scene. The report also quoted several of Ioane’s aggrieved neighbours, with many voicing their concern at the number of parties the 25-year-old has hosted over the past 12 months.
But Savea has taken exception to the media’s coverage of the incident. In a four-tweet thread, Savea accused journalists of trying to victimise Ioane and make him look like a criminal.
You go deliberately and try get stories out of neighbours to even further rubbish players . Yes players got stood down this weekend for team protocols. But it should stop there. All this investigating trying to make them look like there criminals is just stupid. https://t.co/B0ipKQmrIr
— ardie savea (@ardiesavea) April 1, 2021
Josh is a great young man I’ve had the honour to play and train with. Yes like all of us, we all need a bit of wisdom in our lives. We all do. but doesn’t excuse this kind of journalism. That’s why players don’t trust journalists cause some ruin it for others.
— ardie savea (@ardiesavea) April 1, 2021
Same journos/ media companies that promote mental health and well-being are the same ones that continue to over write and bag players through their articles that give public a gateway to hate and write bad things. BE BETTER @paulcullystuff @NZStuff
— ardie savea (@ardiesavea) April 1, 2021
And I missed you too @southernscoop . Be better bro .
— ardie savea (@ardiesavea) April 1, 2021
Photo: Dianne Manson/Getty Images