If successful, the lawsuit will have wider implications for sporting organisations that often put athletes through challenging training routines.
A National Rugby League (NRL) player has sued his former club for $4 million over what he describes as “psychiatric injury, deprivation of liberty, [and] humiliation” from a punishment he received during training.
A statement of claim attached to the lawsuit alleges 22-year-old Jackson Topine was forced by Canterbury Bulldogs’ team trainer Travis Touma to wrestle 30 to 35 teammates as punishment for being 10 minutes late to practice.
Mr. Topine alleges the incident left him with an “ongoing incapacity to play,” which has prevented him from earning a living as a professional player.
Mr. Topine was released by the Bulldogs in November 2023 and has not played in the NRL since July 2023, three days before the alleged wrestling incident.
While wrestling is a normal part of NRL training sessions, Mr. Topine alleges Mr. Touma singled him out for an unscheduled session.
The lawsuit stated Mr. Topine was psychologically harmed by taunts from Mr. Touma during the wrestling which left him physically exhausted.
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“It is claimed teammates tried to help Topine but were told by Touma things like, ‘Don’t let him up. If he’s down, jump on him straight away!’ ... and, ‘Don’t congratulate him or help him. He deserved that. He was [expletive] late.’”
Mr. Topine also alleges he received physical injury as a result of the wrestling; which the suit coined as “unlawful corporal punishment.”
“As a result of completing the performance of all wrestling match-ups required under the wrestling direction, [Topine] required assistance in performing limited physical functions, including, standing and walking,” the statement of claim read.
The $4 million claim is based on a loss of potential earnings calculated based on a $400,000 per year salary for the next 10 years, which is considered the average expectancy of players.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Tyran Smith, Mr. Topine’s agent, reportedly made all NRL clubs aware of the player’s availability as a free agent three weeks before the legal action against the Bulldogs was initiated.
A New Precedent?
Depending on the outcome of the lawsuit, a player taking this sort of action would be worrying for other NRL clubs and professional franchises.
While the job description of a trainer is to keep athletes safe from injury, litigation is not uncommon should the proper duty of care not be maintained.
In the United States, former Southeastern University cheerleader Ali Roberts sued her school’s assistant athletic trainer for negligence after alleging she suffered concussions while performing with the team but did not receive adequate care after falling.
Meanwhile, UCLA football players collectively sued their school for US$15 million in 2019 after claiming severe injuries were exacerbated due to the negligent conduct of former coach Jim Mora, offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, and associate trainer Anthony Venute.
Tough Training Not Unusual: Ex-NRL Player
An ex-NRL player from the early 2000s, who wished to remain anonymous, spoke with The Epoch Times saying tough training was “just part of the game.”
“Look, this guy [Mr. Topine] is obviously upset at what he felt was a targeted action by the trainer. It wasn’t unusual when I played to cop a bit of stick if you acted up or were late to training,” he said.
“You are a professional, and are expected to behave like one, and that includes getting to footy on time. Did the Dogs trainer’s methods go a bit overboard? Maybe. But sometimes you need a thicker skin.”
The source’s thoughts were echoed by Rugby League immortal Andrew Johns this week on Channel Nine’s Sunday Footy Show, who said hard training helps build character.
“You get to a point where you’re training hard and the players are watching and you are getting flogged,” Mr. Johns said. “When the blowtorch gets applied to the belly out on the field. You get to the point of breaking point—you see the character of the person. It means that when it hits the fan on the field, you can trust them.”
“A professional sport, especially a contact sport, which is so tough - it’s not for everyone. There’s only a small percentage of the population that can play at that top level. If you’re not up to it, then you’re not a part of it,” he added.
Mr. Johns said the impending legal action would likely rule Mr. Topine from a future role in the NRL.
“I could not imagine another club would pick Jackson up,” Mr. Johns said.
Another immortal, Billy Slater, agreed wrestling was part and parcel of the training methods used at his time with the Melbourne Storm.
“You don’t have to wrestle every person in the squad, but there’s a balance to this,” he said.
“If it does uphold in court, there’s going to be a lot of clubs, trainers and coaches thinking about how they deal with players.
“It’s really sad for a person to be going through this and it’s public. This is a tough situation for him … it’s not good for anyone,” Mr. Slater said.
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