Rugby World Cup Minister Murray McCully is poised to axe controversial rugby ambassador Andy Haden.

In a strongly-worded statement, Mr McCully said he would be meeting Mr Haden over comments he made about rape and rugby players on Sky Television on Wednesday night.

Haden, a former All Black, said women who target sportsmen "do so at their peril" on the Deaker on Sport programme.

McCully said: "Naturally I am disappointed to again be in a situation where Mr Haden's comments have

provoked public controversy. It is the role of 2011 Ambassadors to promote the outstanding programme of activities planned for next year, not to provide a major distraction from them.



"It is not possible to combine the roles of television rugby shock-jock and 2011 Ambassador. This is something I will discuss with Mr Haden quite soon."

But it is understood Mr McCully's attempts to contact Mr Haden late today were unsuccessful.

Haden's latest controversial comments were made while being interviewed after claims fellow former All Black Robin Brooke had sex with a near comatose teenager and later paid for her silence.

Haden said stories of alleged rape by sportsmen had "two sides to them".

"There's a bloke called Hugh Grant. He got into a bit of trouble like this and I think if the cheque bounces sometimes, they only realise that they've been raped, you know, sometimes," he said.

"It's an equal society now, some of these girls are targeting rugby players and targeting sportsmen and they do so at their peril today, I think."

Haden's comments - which follow him courting controversy in May by claiming the Canterbury Crusaders rugby club had race-based player selection policies - have sparked outrage with Rape Crisis, which said they were inappropriate, misogynistic and sexist.

Labour has also called for the Government to sack him.

PRIME MINISTER INVOLVED

This evening Prime Minister John Key said he had not spoken to Mr McCully yet, but had seen his statement.

"He has essentially said it's incompatible to be a shock jock and an ambassador for the Rugby World Cup."

"I'm sure those two [Mr Haden and Mr McCully] are having a conversation and where it goes, I guess we'll leave in the hands of Mr McCully."

Asked for his preference on what should happen, Mr Key said he would leave it to Mr McCully.

OPPOSITION

Labour's RWC spokesman Trevor Mallard said Key needed to act swiftly and remove Haden from his role as Rugby World Cup ambassador, today.

"Andy Haden's comments on a television sports show last night about women who accuse rugby players of rape are unacceptable and show he is not a suitable person to be an ambassador for New Zealand," Mallard said.

"Mr Haden may have been speaking in some misguided attempt to defend a mate but he should have known that as a person asked to represent New Zealand his comments risked reflecting badly on our country.

"He had already upset many people with his recent comments about 'darkies' and racial quotas in rugby and should have gone then.

"But, after first indicating he should be sacked, John Key gave in to RWC Minister Murray McCully and no action was taken.

"This time, for credibility's sake, Mr Key must overrule Mr McCully and do what he failed to do last time and stand Andy Haden down."

HADEN'S RESPONSE

Haden has today defended his statements, saying he was not suggesting women who were put in compromising situations with sportsmen deserved what happened, but "the consequences of having that objective put them at risk".

"I don't think what you should be doing in life as a young woman is putting yourself at risk which is what they were doing."

Haden said circumstances and situations were relevant – including alcohol consumption - but women were not necessarily at more risk from sportsmen than other men.

On the claims against Robin Brooke, Haden said there wasn’t yet enough evidence to decide on their substance.

"All I know is that he was asked for $1500 by the group ... so does that make them lily white? I said [on the Deaker show] I didn't know a lot about it but they've got to be very careful about where they go with this.

"I'm not in contact at all with Robin Brooke and I was making a general assumption about the climate that exists around sports teams ... Clearly there was a large amount of money discussed ... and so that to me means that it doesn't add up terribly well.

"It doesn't speak a lot about Robin Brooke but at the same time it doesn't speak very highly of these girls who openly admitted that they went out with this as a purpose."

OUTCRY

Wellington Sexual Abuse Help Foundation spokeswoman Helen Sullivan called for Haden to be ousted as World Cup ambassador, saying his comments were "totally inappropriate".

"I don't think he should remain in his position, particularly given that and his earlier remarks."

Haden's comments showed a level of misogyny, sexism and racism that was unacceptable and reinforced why rape crisis centres still existed, she said.

"An equal society does not mean that men are allowed to rape women."

Ms Sullivan also said there was "nothing unusual" about men or women seeking out high profile people. "That happens all the time and in doing that they're not saying 'I want to be raped' - they're two very different things."

The National Collective of Independent Rape Crisis also slammed Haden:

"Sex with someone whilst they are comatose doesn't equate to an equal society.

"Andy has further diminished the group of men he represents and sounds like he's still existing in the 1960's ... a time when Maori couldn't tour South Africa and a wife could not charge her husband with rape.

"We have moved on since those times but people with attitudes like this are doing nothing for the promotion of equality in our society."

Haden said his future as World Cup ambassador wasn't a decision for rape crisis, which should concentrate on the issues and not personalities.

BACKGROUND

In May, Haden claimed the Canterbury Crusaders had a policy where they limited their number of Polynesian players, whom he referred to as "darkies". The crusaders club strongly denied the claims and there was widespread condemnation of the comments, but World Cup Minister Murray McCully refused to sack Haden from his ambassador role, saying he was important because of his network of sporting and business leaders.