England pair fined for misconduct

Topsy Ojo and Mike Brown have been found guilty of misconduct during England's ill-fated tour to New Zealand.

But the English Rugby Football Union's internal investigation into events in Auckland on June 14th has cleared David Strettle and Danny Care of any wrongdoing.

Ojo was fined €627 and reprimanded after he was found to have stayed out all night. Brown was fined €1,255 and reprimanded for staying out all night and arriving late for a physiotherapist appointment.

The RFU's chief disciplinary officer Jeff Blackett, who conducted the inquiry, also warned both players that in future they are not to put themselves in any compromising situations which may bring the game into disrepute.

Ojo, Brown, Care and a fourth, unnamed, player were at the centre of allegations following England's 37-20 defeat by the All Blacks but no official complaint was made against the players, who denied any wrongdoing.

Blackett maintained that Strettle had no involvement in the incident at all and was not on the list of people New Zealand police wanted to interview.

In his report published this afternoon, Blackett said: "All the players I have interviewed vehemently deny any criminal wrongdoing. I have seen or heard no evidence which has been tested to gainsay those denials."