Released from a prolonged period of uncertainty, the Western Force now stands resilient after grappling for most of the past year with the knowledge of a thief in its midst.
Since the beginning of the previous season, the Perth-based Super Rugby club has been plagued by a series of minor thefts. Initially, these thefts were on a modest scale – $10 here, $20 there, $50 elsewhere – prompting the victims, predominantly players, to dismiss them as simple errors in their own accounting of cash on hand.
However, as time progressed, it became evident that the vanishing money could not be attributed to mere oversight; it was clear that a thief was indeed active, and alarmingly, likely an insider.
This revelation is one of the most distressing for a football club. While all businesses and organizations extol the advantages of teamwork and trust, a rugby club must embody these principles, or risk failure.
Realizing the need for swift action, Coach Richard Graham was determined to prevent suspicion and unrest from fracturing his team.
Graham faced a relatively straightforward investigative challenge.
Over the past year, eleven thefts had come to light, some occurring while on the road, but most taking place at the Force’s Mount Claremont headquarters. Thus, he endeavored to identify who had been nearby during each incident.
Gradually, every player and official was dismissed as suspects, leaving only Willie Ripia, a New Zealander brought onto the team as a foreign development player in 2010.
Eventually, the mounting evidence against Ripia became irrefutable, leaving Graham with no choice but to confront the player directly, a moment he had been dreading.
“I told him I believed he was the thief,” Graham recounted.
“Accusing someone of such a serious crime requires absolute certainty regarding the evidence you possess.”
It might have been expected that an innocent player could react explosively upon such an accusation, and Graham remained vigilant, bracing for a possible outburst.
Instead, Ripia responded to the allegation with composure, leaning back in his chair and calmly denying the accusation.
The rest of the team feigned ignorance of the situation as they gathered for a pre-Christmas barbecue, Ripia included. Yet, Graham was acutely aware of the simmering tension beneath the surface.
“Clearly, when something like that is happening, there’s an undercurrent,” he noted.
Ultimately, Ripia almost turned himself in. The surveillance camera positioned above the players’ lockers was impossible to overlook, yet Ripia audaciously moved from locker to locker in search of an unlocked one. Case closed.
On Tuesday, club officials summoned him, seated him, and presented him with the surveillance footage. They didn’t require an admission from him because the video was unequivocal; however, Ripia confessed nonetheless.
The conversation then shifted to the potential consequences of his actions—whether he should be suspended or have his contract terminated. Once again, Ripia made the decision easy for the Force.
He resigned on the spot, effective immediately.
It is rumored that Ripia took the midnight flight out of town, shortly before the news broke, seemingly heading back to his family home in Rotorua, New Zealand.
Concerned Force officials still feel a responsibility towards him and wish to ensure his well-being, but predictably, he has chosen to go into hiding.
Buford Balony says: It’s unfortunate that one of the forwards didn’t manage to catch him before he fled to NZ.
