New Zealand Rugby has a lot of work to do to meet the challenges laid out by its Respect and Responsibility Review panel, and believes it must dig as deep as the schools to start changing some attitudes and behaviours.

On the back of the Chiefs "Strippergate" scandal and some other highly publicised incidents, NZR charged an independent panel last September with undertaking a thorough review into the culture of "respect and responsibility" within the sport.

The result was an extensive nine-month process undertaken by a panel, chaired by Kathryn Beck, president of the New Zealand Law Society, and also including Jackie Barron, Lisa Carrington, Kate Daly, Liz Dawson, David Howman, Sir Michael Jones, Keven Mealamu and Dr Deb Robinson.

CHRIS SKELTON/ STUFF NZ Rugby chairman Brent Impey and chief executive Steve Tew flank 'Respect and Responsibility' panel chair Kathryn Beck at the review findings announcement.

Their 164 pages of findings and recommendations, researched and authored by Robyn Cockburn, were unveiled in Auckland on Thursday at a media conference fronted by Beck, NZR chief executive Steve Tew and NZR chairman Brent Impey.

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"This review is absolutely groundbreaking," said Tew. "If we get it right it will a be transformational moment for our sport."

NZN VIDEO NZRU chief executive Steve Tew says the review is "groundbreaking" and agrees there are "big problems" in New Zealand rugby.

The panel's report was a comprehensive and wide-ranging document that covered a lot of territory within rugby, and indeed society in general. Out of it has come six "aspirational" goals set as guiding lights for rugby and 36 short-term, 43 mid-term and 12 long-term actions that it is recommended that NZR needs to focus on.

There were also revelations of 36 cases of misconduct investigated by NZR between 2013-17 (33 involving players, two a team and one a club). The primary cause was poor behaviour and in more than half of the situations alcohol played a key factor, with drugs and drug/alcohol combinations also having an impact.

The misconduct incidents included:

• Failure to attend meetings, judicial hearings, assembling with the team

• Lack of compliance with agreed programmes including rehabilitation, team curfew

• Drunk behaviour and associated damage

• Inappropriate sexual behaviour towards others

• Violent behaviour towards others including team members and coaches

• Instances involving alcohol and drugs

• Homophobic slur, overheard by public and complained about

CHRIS SKELTON/ STUFF 'Respect and Responsibility' review chair Kathryn Beck reveals the findings in Auckland.

Tew acknowledged that the "initial spark" for the review had been provided by "some behavioural issues we were dealing with and the way we responded to those issues" and pointed out that many of the findings had reinforced plans and programmes the organisation already had in place.

However, now they had a mandate to dig deeper, he indicated secondary schools, where the professional players of tomorrow are currently being shaped, would now be targeted.

"Every player who comes into Super Rugby when they're inducted gets lessons around respect, use of alcohol, relationships with women, and those sort of things you are going to come under pressure dealing with as a professional player who has money, profile and stardom," said Tew.

CHRIS SKELTON/ STUFF NZ Rugby believed the 'Respect and Responsibility' review was groundbreaking a big step forward for the organisation.

"What the review has done has really focused us that to get to the kids early enough we're going to have to start while they're at school, because what's happening in schools rugby is that, particularly with first XV competitions which are a big part of the image of the school, these kids are getting a sense of entitlement and privilege far too early for their emotional and mental development.

"That means we're getting young men -- and they are very young -- who have already got all the good stuff but probably not the tools to deal with the challenges and responsibilities that come with it.

"We're already talking to the secondary schools organisation and that's going to be a partnership we have to build much deeper than we have in the past."

Beck was told in the work undertaken by her group "to leave no stone unturned" and believed they had done so, engaging over 300 people directly and another 232 through an online mailbox.

"This allowed people an opportunity to have a voice and share stories, both positive and negative, and give ideas and thoughts," she said. "This work acknowledges that rugby is doing many things well but there are some areas for further work and development."

The review identified the six key areas in which NZR needed to focus as: inclusive leadership; developing people; nurturing wellbeing; gender equity; proactive engagement; and being accountable and independent.

NZR said among activities it would prioritise over the next 12-24 months were: establishing an executive governance group; develop a project plan and integrate the RRR into its 2020 strategy; develop a charter that captures NZR's values and aspirations that rugby is for all; and establish an independent advisory group to receive regular reports.

"This is going to be a transformational process, and it has already started," added Beck. "The panel believes rugby is willing and ready to lead the culture change and it will help the people, organisations and systems to be more respectful and responsible."

And when they turned those stones over?

"We found a culture that was ready for change," she added. "It's an all-culture change that's required so that's a big challenge. But it's do-able, and our recommendations are designed so they're things rugby could do that would make a difference."

Added Tew: "We made a genuine commitment thy could ask any question and have any information they wanted. We could have got a pretty damning report if the place was in worse nick than what it is. I'm very proud of where we sit today but I'm mostly proud of the fact we've got a report here that says we can do better, and it's do-able.

"It's going to take a bit of time because there's not one silver bullet. Otherwise we would have bitten it."