Willie Ripia, former Hurricanes player, has announced that he will be returning to New Zealand to work through some of the problems he has had recently, which led to his resignation from the league. The 26-year-old player was accused of stealing from his teammates in order to fund his gambling addiction, and Ripia will be seeking help for his problem.
Ripia did not confirm the claims that he was stealing from other players; the report stated that a “serious breach of team protocol” had been made. The athlete did announce that he was having serious issues that needed to be dealt with before he could return to his career.
“Willie is devastated with the impact gambling has had on him and is determined to work through his problem,” the release stated.
This scandal has had a huge impact on politics in Australia and New Zealand, especially affecting the debate on pokie reform. With a high-profile athlete admitting to having a gambling addiction, pro-reform politicians are convinced that tightening gambling laws is the way to go.
