Tony Johnson: Rugby Commentator on Sevu Reece's discharge without conviction for wilful damage

All Black Sevu Reece has avoided conviction a second time after damaging a Christchurch property. 

The 27-year-old crashed a car into a garage door after being asked to leave a post-Cup Day party last year. 

The Crusader's been discharged without conviction after admitting a reduced charge of wilful damage. 

In 2018, Reece was granted a discharge for assaulting his then-partner. 

Rugby Commentator Tony Johnson told Ryan Bridge that being well-paid to play sport is a privilege. 

He says a responsibility comes with that, and twice now, he's fallen below the line. 

Johnson says he'll have to stay true to his commitment to stay away from alcohol. 

He says it's already cost him one job overseas, so another repeat could have major impacts for Reece in the game. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
All Black and Crusaders player Severy Reese was named yesterday
as the sports star who admitted to a charge of
wilful damage driving a car into a garage at a
Cup day party in christ Church. He was granted a
discharge without conviction. It is the second time he's been
discharged with that conviction. The last time was in twenty
eighteen he admitted to a charge of common assault on
his then partner. Tony Johnson is the rugby commentator with

(00:22):
US this morning. Tony, good morning morning. Right, do you
see a problem here? He's sorry, he's contrived. He said
he's stopped drinking. He's been to court. That process is over.
Story end.

Speaker 2 (00:35):
No, not really. You know it's up to him now.
As you say, two ribbons alcohol related, the first far
more serious. He has expressed contrition and a desire to
stay away from alcohol to sort himself out, and you
had to stay true to that. Now it's already costing
one lucrative job overseas another repeat, and you can't imagine

(00:56):
it's going to exactly have a positive impact on his
prospects of future employment in the game. I suppose that
the thing is with sports people or anyone in the
in you know, the public eye. You have to be
careful that they don't get tried twice, you know, once
in the courts, once in the court of public opinion.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Do we have too much Do we put too much
emphasis on them being perfect? I mean, they're all flawed
humans like the rest of us, are they not.

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Yeah, it's a really good question because often, you know,
people talk about the need to be a good role model.
To me, that's up to the individual. I mean, don't
get me wrong. Being well paid to play sport as
a privilege, and with that privilege comes the responsibility of
projecting yourself and your sport in a positive light, or
at least not to bring the sport of disrepute. And twice. Now,

(01:45):
I guess he's fallen below that line. But then I
suppose you look at it in the broader context. Our
courts are full of young people. A lot of them
are there because the people who should unconditionally be their
role model, their parents have failed them badly. So why
should it really fall on sports people to show them
the way. I don't think that's the case yourself, that

(02:05):
that should come down to sports. But in a way,
Sibbe Reese has now put himself in a position where
he has no choice but to become a otherwise as
a risk, his career could be finished.

Speaker 1 (02:15):
Absolutely absolutely, and he's took a step in the right
direction I think in doing exactly that after the discharge
with that conviction at court yesterday, Tony, thank you very
much for being on the show. Great to have you
on as always. Tony Johnson, rugby commentator with us just
gone twenty three minutes after five. I do think that
all black sports stars in general are not perfect people,

(02:37):
and often we look at them and think that they
should be. I think they should be good at their job,
which is playing rugby or playing netball or whatever it is.
And can you not look up to a flawed character?
I mean, obviously if so long as you're not still
driving around drunk. You know, if you have admitted to
what you've done, if you are remorseful, if you're trying
to fix the issue, you should be given a second chance.

(03:01):
And you can still look up to flawed people, can
you not?

Speaker 2 (03:05):
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