Super Rugby
Digby Ioane learned from pub incident
ESPN Staff
April 5, 2013
Queensland Reds' Digby Ioane runs in attack, Reds v Bulls, Super Rugby, Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, March 23, 2013
Digby Ioane produced a powerful performance on his return against the Bulls © Getty Images
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Players/Officials: Digby Ioane

Digby Ioane has spoken of his responsibilities as a role model, saying "I'm not a guy who acts like a rock star" as he talked for the first time about the incident in a Melbourne pub that saw him stood down for one game by Queensland Reds.

Ioane was in the Prahran hotel the day after the Reds had defeated Melbourne Rebels in round four of the Super Rugby when one of his four brothers was involved in an altercation with a man over a mobile phone. Ioane stood by his brother and pushed away the man.

The incident, which was investigated by Victorian police, saw the Reds suspend Ioane from the following match against Western Force because of expectations of his behaviour as a senior player, with coach Ewen McKenzie saying at the time "I've spent a lot of time speaking to Digby … about his role and responsibility in the team, and he gets that".

The Wallabies winger said on Thursday that the Reds' decision to stand him down from the Force match on March 16 had issued him a wake-up call.

"You should get punished if you step out of line because if you are one of the senior boys you have to set the example," Ioane told News Limited's Rugby Gold.

"I wanted to play that Force game so bad, but being stood down was the right thing."

"I learnt a lot. You just can't go say hi to a mate in a pub because the thing I got caught up in all happened in five minutes. I came back so hungry against the Bulls [a week later]. I don't want to be in that position again."

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