Hockey Australia high performance director quits over ‘toxic culture’

Consumed by allegations of a toxic culture, body shaming and bullying, Hockey Australia’s crisis has taken another turn for the worst.

The fallout from the Hockey Australia crisis continues.

Hockey Australia’s high performance director Toni Cumpston has sensationally quit following revelations around the ‘toxic culture’ within the Hockeyroos, one of Australia’s most beloved and successful Olympic teams.

In a strongly worded statement issued by her lawyers on Friday, Cumpston confirmed she was stepping down from her job three months before the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics.

“This is not a decision I have made lightly,” she said.

“I love my job and while I am very mindful this is an Olympic year, I feel I have been left with no choice but to resign from my position as it is untenable to continue in the present circumstances.”

Hockey Australia replied with its own statement, with chief executive Matt Favier saying Cumpston’s resignation had been accepted “effective immediately.”

“Toni has been a consummate professional throughout and worked tirelessly in creating an elite high performance environment in the pursuit of on field excellence and success,” he said.

“At the start of 2020 prior to COVID, the Kookaburras were ranked number one in the world while the Hockeyroos were ranked second, and Toni’s expertise and contribution was a major part of this.”

“On behalf of everyone at Hockey Australia, I wish Toni all of the best in her future endeavours in whatever she chooses to do next.”

Former High Performance Director Toni Cumpston. Picture Supplied

Cumpston’s sudden resignation comes after around two dozen past and present players and staff came forward last month to accuse Hockey Australia of turning a blind eye to serious complaints about the way the women’s high-performance program has been run over the past decade.

The deeply disturbing claims included reports of body-shaming, bullying and intimidation that have led to players developing serious eating disorders, self-harming and simply walking out on the sport they love.

Cumpston was hired to help clean up the women’s program after Hockey Australia’s previous national women’s coach was fired for misconduct at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

In her statement, Cumpston robustly defended her role in tackling the sport’s problems, and revealed that she had engaged lawyers to oversee her departure from the job.

“I was brought into Hockey Australia to address many of the problems that have existed within the organisation for a long period, including serious allegations of bullying and behavioural issues,” she said.

“I have worked assiduously to improve the culture of Hockey Australia and our national sides, and in doing so I have always received strong support and encouragement from management and the Board.

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“However, in a very short space of time it has become evident that I no longer have the support of the Board of Hockey Australia to continue this work.”

The latest complaints that were revealed last month by The Daily Telegraph showed a sport in crisis, though Hockey Australia has refuted many of the accusations, pointing the finger of blame at a few disgruntled players.

Cumpston confirmed she would continue to co-operate with the ongoing independent inquiry into the sport’s toxic culture which was ordered after current and past players and staff came forward en masse to slam the way the national women’s high-performance program was being run.

The complaints include allegations of bullying, body-shaming and homophobic behaviour, which has reportedly led to players developing serious eating disorders and mental health issues.

Hockey Australia responded by setting up its own inquiry to investigate the complaints but has since handed everything over to a new and independent panel after being warned it risks losing all of its public funding if it fails to acknowledge the seriousness of the scandal.

The new investigating panel – confirmed this week – will be headed up by Bruce Collins, Gabrielle Trainor and Moya Dodd on behalf of the Australian Sports Commission after the federal government announced sweeping changes to the way all taxpayer-funded sporting bodies investigate serious integrity issues - including child abuse, intimidation and bullying.