Rugby team found to violate alcohol policy
By: Colin Campbell, Staff Writer
Issue date: 10/4/07 Section: University
The UNC men's rugby team has been found guilty of violating the Sport Clubs Council alcohol policy, but members were acquitted of charges of misrepresentation of the University and the club.
Hazing charges also were dropped Sept. 14, shortly after the investigation into the allegations began.
The team's suspension, which has prevented members from practicing and competing since Sept. 3, will continue for two weeks, though the team can now practice.
The decisions came out of a Sport Clubs Council hearing Tuesday night.
The team will be on probation until the end of the school year, meaning that any further infractions will carry more serious consequences, said Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs.
"It means that they're effectively under warning," Crisp said.
Rufaro Sikipa, the club's president, said he thinks the sentence was reasonable.
"It was a fair decision, and it was a huge relief for us as a club," Sikipa said. "We're excited about being able to practice again."
The alcohol violations occurred at club-sponsored parties and social events where underage drinking took place.
"We realize we've made mistakes in the past," Sikipa said. "We're going to be taking a lot of measures to correct that."
To do so, the club will establish a student code of conduct and an alumni advisory board to guide its activities. Community service also is being scheduled, Sikipa said. "We're trying to show the real side of UNC rugby."
The policy the team violated states that alcohol use at club-sponsored events is prohibited, said Jason Halsey, director of sport clubs. But that doesn't mean athletes can't drink with teammates.
"We're not trying to police groups of club members trying to get together and have a good time," Halsey said.
Sikipa said that he isn't sure what prompted the hazing allegations but that photos of the team posted online might have been misinterpreted.
Halsey and Crisp conducted the investigation of the allegations. They interviewed team members during the past month to gather evidence for Tuesday's hearing.
At the hearing, both the team and the investigators presented evidence, and the final decision was made by the Sport Clubs executive council, which consists of five elected members of various sports clubs.
Throughout the investigation, the club had the support of several competitors, which helped disprove the misrepresentation charges.
Rugby teams at Wake Forest University and the University of Georgia wrote to UNC in support of the rugby team and its integrity.
"We had a lot of letters in support of us that served to show we are great ambassadors for the school," Sikipa said. "That was a great help."
The team will compete in a tournament Oct. 27, but being unable to practice for the past month has put it at a disadvantage, Sikipa said. "We're trying to build the team back up."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
How the rugby suspension happened:
Sept. 3: The team is suspended from
practice and competition due to allegations of hazing, alcohol use and misrepresentation of the University; the investigation begins.
Sept. 14: Hazing charges are dropped.
Oct. 2: A Sport Clubs Council hearing rules that the team violated alcohol policy and sentences it to two more weeks of suspension.
Hazing charges also were dropped Sept. 14, shortly after the investigation into the allegations began.
The team's suspension, which has prevented members from practicing and competing since Sept. 3, will continue for two weeks, though the team can now practice.
The decisions came out of a Sport Clubs Council hearing Tuesday night.
The team will be on probation until the end of the school year, meaning that any further infractions will carry more serious consequences, said Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs.
"It means that they're effectively under warning," Crisp said.
Rufaro Sikipa, the club's president, said he thinks the sentence was reasonable.
"It was a fair decision, and it was a huge relief for us as a club," Sikipa said. "We're excited about being able to practice again."
The alcohol violations occurred at club-sponsored parties and social events where underage drinking took place.
"We realize we've made mistakes in the past," Sikipa said. "We're going to be taking a lot of measures to correct that."
To do so, the club will establish a student code of conduct and an alumni advisory board to guide its activities. Community service also is being scheduled, Sikipa said. "We're trying to show the real side of UNC rugby."
The policy the team violated states that alcohol use at club-sponsored events is prohibited, said Jason Halsey, director of sport clubs. But that doesn't mean athletes can't drink with teammates.
"We're not trying to police groups of club members trying to get together and have a good time," Halsey said.
Sikipa said that he isn't sure what prompted the hazing allegations but that photos of the team posted online might have been misinterpreted.
Halsey and Crisp conducted the investigation of the allegations. They interviewed team members during the past month to gather evidence for Tuesday's hearing.
At the hearing, both the team and the investigators presented evidence, and the final decision was made by the Sport Clubs executive council, which consists of five elected members of various sports clubs.
Throughout the investigation, the club had the support of several competitors, which helped disprove the misrepresentation charges.
Rugby teams at Wake Forest University and the University of Georgia wrote to UNC in support of the rugby team and its integrity.
"We had a lot of letters in support of us that served to show we are great ambassadors for the school," Sikipa said. "That was a great help."
The team will compete in a tournament Oct. 27, but being unable to practice for the past month has put it at a disadvantage, Sikipa said. "We're trying to build the team back up."
Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.
How the rugby suspension happened:
Sept. 3: The team is suspended from
practice and competition due to allegations of hazing, alcohol use and misrepresentation of the University; the investigation begins.
Sept. 14: Hazing charges are dropped.
Oct. 2: A Sport Clubs Council hearing rules that the team violated alcohol policy and sentences it to two more weeks of suspension.
Viewing Comments 1 - 4 of 4
w
posted 10/04/07 @ 9:10 AM EST
Oh that's reassuring. "photos of the team posted online might have been misinterpreted" and the University tries to cancel their whole season.
Dab
posted 10/04/07 @ 11:39 AM EST
Sounds like this whole thing was a witch-hunt, and the university have used the rugby boys to try and make an example.
Andy Richards
posted 10/04/07 @ 1:35 PM EST
All the team and coaches are grateful that the club has been re-instated. We will resume training this weekend.
Friday 5pm and Saturday 9am at Ehringhaus Field. (Continued…)
UncClubTennisBalla
posted 10/04/07 @ 8:34 PM EST
club tennis is where the big ballas ball. they wouldnt even try to accuse us of that cause they know what the deal be
Post a Comment