Dragons under fire from NRL over detail in Jack de Belin interview
The St George-Illawarra Dragons have been issued a 'please explain' over a recent interview from Jack de Belin about his rape charges that were dismissed last year.
De Belin made his return to the NRL in 2021 after more than two years on the sidelines after he and a friend were accused of raping a then-19-year-old woman inside a Wollongong apartment in 2018.
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The NRL star and his friend Callan Sinclair were tried twice on the charges but both trials ended with hung juries. They were found not guilty of one charge in the second trial.
The former representative forward returned after the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions opted against a third sexual assault trial and formally withdrew charges in May last year.
The 31-year-old had not spoken publicly about the case until he broke a three-year media silence earlier this month, telling reporters: "I wouldn't necessarily say I'm sorry".
During the interview, de Belin once against pleaded his innocence and insisted he “didn’t do the wrong thing”.
It is the only time since the first charges were laid against de Belin that the Dragons have put the forward up for media commitments, however, the club did not send an open invite to accredited media and there were reportedly no female journalists present.
The Sydney Morning Herald reports that Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) chairman Peter V'landys demanded answers from the Dragons about why that was the case.
ARLC chairman demands answers over Jack de Belin interview
"We want as many women in the game, and they should always feel comfortable and encouraged," V'landys said.
"I won't go into the subject of it, but they should just have a standard policy to invite all journalists to media conferences and, in particular, they should encourage and support female journalists.
"Anything to the contrary would be completely stupid.
"I hope the St George club have learnt from this."
Dragons chairman Craig Young admitted it was an oversight from the rugby league club.
Perhaps more concerning was the fact the Dragons chairman says he wasn't even informed that that press conference was going ahead.
"I wasn't aware of it, which is disappointing, to say the least," Young said.
"It should have been an open go. My view is that it should have press conference should be open to whoever wants to attend."
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