Wednesday April 04 08:56 PM EDT 
Rugger Resigns Over Rectal Fouls
By Matt Alsdorf, Gay.com / PlanetOut.com Network
SUMMARY: : Digital penetration of opposing players while on the field was
deemed "unsportsmanlike interference" by Australian rugby's governing
body, and the offending player has been forced to resign.

An Australian pro rugby player who resigned this weekend after being
caught sticking his finger in opposing players' anuses during a match is
now considering taking legal action against the New Zealand Cancer Society
(NZCS) for using his picture in an advertisement for prostate cancer
checks. 

John Hopoate, a winger for the Australian National Rugby League's West
Tigers club, received a 12-week suspension from the NRL judiciary last
week for "unsportsmanlike interference" with three North Queensland
players whom he digitally penetrated. The Associated Press reported that
the resignation came after team management met to consider calls for his
removal. 

Hopoate said he believed his decision was in the best interest of the club
and its fans, according to Agence France Presse. "I sincerely regret that
anything I may have done has caused stress, anxiety and disappointment to
everyone involved with the West Tigers," AFP quoted Hopoate as saying in a
statement he released through his manager. 

NZCS took out an advertisement in New Zealand's The Dominion newspaper
with a color close-up of Hopoate apparently sticking his finger in North
Queensland captain Paul Bowman's anus. According to the Australian
Associated Press (AAP), the accompanying text reads, "A bloke's chances of
developing prostate cancer increases as he gets older. If you have
symptoms that you're concerned about, consult your local doctor. It won't
hurt a bit -- promise." 

The AAP reports that Hopoate and his manager say they were not consulted
by NZCS about use of the image and are "looking at the legal
ramifications." NRL chief executive David Moffett said the ad was
"appalling." 

But NZCS's Roger Taylor was quoted by New Zealand's One News as saying,
"It's a difficult message to get across for a difficult disease ... and we
felt our normal health promotion doesn't work that well and that this was
a topical issue that would perhaps get it out there." 

According to AFP, Hopoate, a 27-year-old teetotalling Mormon father of
five, had faced the NRL's disciplinary commission seven times in the past
four years, primarily for fighting. If you'd like to know more, you can
find stories related to Rugger Resigns Over Rectal Fouls. 

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