Coromandel venue calls out ‘disgraceful’ behaviour from local rugby club members

Coromandel venue owners are calling for change after “disgraceful and disrespectful” behaviour from local rugby club members that they say is a symptom of a culture where men think they can get away with anything.

Monkey House Lounge and Cabaret owner operator Kaspur Franke said it was a slow night at their small Whitianga venue when at around 12.30am a group of boys wearing the Mercury Bay Rugby Club logo came into the bar.

“There were several of them that absolutely were disgraceful and disrespectful. They got on the stage, they were trying to get on the microphone and eventually one of them threw a drink that got into the equipment as well.

He said they asked the men to leave verbally, but they resisted, and had to be physically removed. He said that’s where a “melee” happened involving about six of the men, where a performer was injured.

“There really seems to be quite a culture of misogynistic men thinking that they’ll be all right because there are no consequences,” co-owner and operator Molly Molloy said.

“I feel like we’re in the middle of something that is much broader, which is men, and particularly sporting organisations, feeling that there’s not going to be any consequences and therefore their behaviour doesn’t change.”

They’d trespassed the men for two years and would like to see a culture change, but said that required the community to step up.

“Hopefully this can affect some change, because society should be such that you shouldn’t expect violence when you go out.”

DJ Amber White, known as Slaps, said she physically removed a man after she asked him to leave and he refused, instead standing over her.

“He didn’t like that. I’m a 5 foot tall woman and he just got tossed out in front of all his boys and so he thought that would be the perfect time to try fight me.”

White said her partner stepped in and it turned into a fight, where her arm got smashed into a wall.

“I don’t really remember much after my arm got smashed in, it was just searing pain.”

“I’m okay now. You know, we’re all safe, the equipment is safe, but women aren’t from this kind of behaviour, from microaggressions when men are celebrating in town, when we lose the rugby or when teams lose or win, to be honest, at the hands of just alcohol.

“It gets a lot more ugly in Aotearoa than it does at Whitianga on Saturday night, so I just really wanted to make an example of this whole situation and just say that if you see something, if you see anything, like whether it’s just a small comment or whether it’s racist comments or your bro’s doing something that’s a little bit sketchy, just say something, you’re not the weirdo for calling it out. They’re the weirdo for being the weirdo.

“It was shocking to me to see two men being so abusive and the rest of the boys there, bar one, just laugh and find it incredibly funny. Like it is not funny.”

Mercury Bay Rugby and Sports Club chairman Mike Skeen said it was aware of an incident at the Monkey House on Saturday night involving a few members of its Rugby Club.

“We understand that a complaint has been made to the police and we will fully support them in any investigation.

“As this is now a police matter, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this stage. Once this investigation is complete we will be better informed and will take any appropriate action as a club.

“We strongly condemn all forms of harassment or violence, particularly against women. The alleged behaviour does not reflect the values of our club.”

Police confirmed they were called following a report of disorder. They said no serious injuries were reported and further enquiries into the circumstances surrounding the incident were ongoing.