Olympics 2021: Aussie athletes defend actions on controversial Japan Airline flight

Investigators who probed the behaviour of the Aussie men’s Olympic Rugby Sevens team on a flight from Tokyo to Sydney have handed down their findings.

The Aussie Rugby Sevens team has been investigated over some members’ behaviuor on their flight home from Tokyo. Picture: Getty Images

Rugby Sevens players have been issued with an official warning and will have to undergo counselling about behaviour and alcohol consumption, following an investigation about drunken antics on board a flight returning from the Tokyo Olympics.

An internal integrity commission into the behaviour of the men’s team on the Japan Airlines flight from Tokyo to Sydney last week found “a number of members of the team were drinking excessive amounts of alcohol on JAL 15 while also being disruptive to cabin crew and other passengers’’.

But the investigation found “no evidence that any JAL property was damaged or mess in seats, aisles or bathrooms was made by the Men’s Rugby Sevens team.’’

However, in a blow to the sevens program, Rugby Australia said the behaviour would have a bearing on the future funding and commitment to the sevens game.

Football Federation Australia, which is undertaking a similar internal investigation for drunken behaviour of the Olyroos on the same flight, has not yet released its findings.

JAL has now insisted that the Australian Olympic Committee has a liaison person on board each flight containing Olympic athletes in order to control their behaviour and has warned that any further misdemeanours will be reported to the police.

JAL had written to the AOC complaining about poor behaviour of athletes on board last Thursday night’s red-eye to Sydney, which included not observing flight attendants’ instructions, raiding the galley for alcohol and being sick in the aircraft, including rendering one toilet inoperable for a portion of the flight.

The Aussie Rugby Sevens team has been investigated over some members’ behaviuor on their flight home from Tokyo. Picture: Getty Images

Both rugby and football acknowledged that their players were involved in the poor behaviour. The rugby integrity unit also found that the Sevens rugby players left one apartment in a “messy, unacceptable” state in the Olympic Village and that there was damage to beds. Rugby Australia says the AOC will be fully reimbursed for the damage. “All members of Men’s Rugby Sevens team have been reprimanded for this behaviour,’’ Rugby Australia said. “ They have also been formally warned. Certain team members will also undergo counselling sessions regarding behaviour and alcohol consumption.

Japan Airlines’ threat to misbehaving Aussie athletes

Rugby Sevens and Olyroos footballers who engaged in “disgraceful” behaviour on board a commercial Japan Airlines flight to Sydney from the Tokyo Olympics say they have done nothing wrong.

“People are allowed to be sick, that’s what sick bags are for,” said one angry rugby player, who admitted being fearful of adverse publicity because “reputations and contracts are on the line”.

“If someone was sick, it would not be the first time, who cares?” he said.

The player said the allegations of misbehaviour were “stressing everyone out” and that players who were usually out and about were now locked in their rooms being demonised.

“Who cares who f--king threw up, it’s not World War III?” he said.

“Why is rugby being dragged through the mud?”

The rugby sevens program is being scaled back after the Tokyo Olympics and the number of contracted players is being cut in half.

While the Australian Olympic Committee said players were “remorseful” for their behaviour, none has publicly admitted to being involved, or has apologised to other Olympians on the flight.

There were 49 Olympians from nine sports on the flight in question, but up to 10 rugby players and footballers are under investigation.

Australian chef de mission Ian Chesterman said he was “deeply disappointed” and laid blame at team officials who were on board.

Ian Chesterman defended the drunken players. Picture: Getty Images

“There were certainly staff from those organisations on that flight and I think we’ve made it very clear to everybody that we expect them to take control of their athletes in these situations,” Chesterman said.

It is alleged several players vomited in their seats, and rendered one toilet unusable for the rest of the flight, loudly chanting and singing, and raiding the galley for more alcohol after flight attendants refused to serve them.

It is understood players from both codes have been told not to comment and to delete any photos.

Another rugby player on board the 10-hour flight said: “Well, if you look at where the vomit was, it wasn’t near our seating plan.”

A rugby source said that “we were rubbish on the field, but we can hold our alcohol”, implying they were not responsible for the vomit.

None of the soccer players on the flight would comment, fearing contractual repercussions.

Officials said the police were not called. Everyone on board is now undergoing two weeks of mandatory quarantine in Sydney hotels.

Rugby Australia and Football Australia have launched ethics investigations and have the power to impose fines and suspensions.

Japan Airlines was so concerned it sent a letter of complaint to the AOC within hours of the flight landing last Friday.

Australia’s Sevens team lost in the quarter-final. Picture: Getty Images

Chesterman said the airline had agreed to continue transporting other members of the Olympic team home to Australia. He valiantly defended the drunken players, saying they were “good people” but had made “poor choices, as young people do from time to time”.

Chesterman said he was “happy for people to finish their Olympics to have a celebration, while paying consideration to others in the team environment”.

The partying at these Games has been long and hard inside the Olympic village because athletes are banned from going into the Tokyo community to eat or drink.

Last Wednesday, before their Thursday flight, the rugby team was carpeted for trashing a room in the village. Then on Thursday night while the rugby players were mid-air, the Australian rowers were partying, smashing a hole in a wall of one of the athlete rooms and leaving vomit for the cleaners. Last Friday night there was another wild party in the village, but Australians weren’t thought to be involved. Then on the Saturday there was an all-night party where 10 Australians “mingled” with other delegations and had to undergo further Covid-tests, which came back negative. Since the Thursday night flight of the rugby players and footballers, there have been two further commercial flights transporting athletes to Australia.

Japan Airlines has imposed new conditions on Australian Olympic team members travelling with the airline. JAL said any passengers displaying undesirable behaviour “will be handed over to the Australia Federal Police on arrival”.

The AOC also has to nominate a traveller to be a liaison between JAL and the Olympic passengers “to assist the crew in maintaining discipline in the cabin”.

AOC charter flights have banned alcohol since a wild party on the return flight from the London Olympics in 2012.

Air New Zealand – which does not ban alcohol on its flights – seems to have had the same problem after Tokyo, with Kiwi athletes accused of excessive drinking, loud music and throwing face masks at staff. An official conceded there had been a party atmosphere on board.