Premiership side Harlequins have released a statement underlining their full support for the players identified in the Rugby Football Union's recent disciplinary report.

Quins' Mike Brown, Danny Care and David Strettle were all named in Judge Blackett's findings following an investigation into an alleged assault on the recent tour of New Zealand along with London Irish's Topsy Ojo.

Brown, Ojo, Care and another unnamed player other than Strettle were at the centre of sexual misconduct allegations involving an 18-year-old woman in Auckland.

She made no formal complaint to New Zealand police, and the RFU found no evidence of criminal wrongdoing.

Ojo and Brown were subsequently found guilty of misconduct in the report - Ojo was fined £500 and reprimanded after he was found to have stayed out all night, while Brown was fined £1000 and reprimanded for staying out all night and arriving late for a physiotherapist appointment.

But the inquiry into events shortly after England had been thumped 37-20 by the All Blacks in Auckland on June 14 cleared Strettle and Care of any wrongdoing.

In a statement released today Quins said, "Following the publication of Judge Blackett's findings last Friday 11th July, Harlequin FC would like to make clear their continued support for the three players of the club identified in his report.

"The serious criminal allegations that were widely reported in parts of the New Zealand and British media have been shown to have no evidential basis, whilst the rumours and innuendo surrounding other events have been clearly shown to be grossly misleadingly, inaccurate and exaggerated.

"It has been a difficult time for them all as they have had to withstand a great deal of ill informed and potentially damaging speculation about their behaviour, whilst choosing to remain silent pending the outcome of the enquiry.

"All three players have had exemplary disciplinary records in their rugby careers to date, and it was particularly pleasing to see that Danny Care and David Strettle were entirely cleared of any misconduct. In the case of Mike Brown, he is fully aware that he should have returned to the team hotel at an earlier hour. Although a relatively minor misdemeanour, he fully accepts the sanction imposed and will now concentrate on regaining his place in the England team.

"Harlequin FC will not comment further on the matter."

In his report Blackett urged all England players to take stock of the responsibility their position carries.

''Any alleged misdemeanours relating to staying out too late, drinking or missing appointments have been brought to public attention,'' he said.

''As such they must be marked in such a way as to remind players in the future that their standards of conduct when playing for England must be of the highest order.

''With the status of an England rugby international player comes the obligation to act even more carefully than other members of the public.

''They must not put themselves in positions where their integrity may be compromised.

''Players must constantly remind themselves that they now have high public profiles and there will be those, particularly in the tabloid press, who will actively seek stories about their personal lives.

''On this tour there was no prohibition on taking young unknown female guests back to the team hotel and in my view that prohibition should now be included as part of any new code of conduct.''

The RFU's disciplinary chief stressed that the players were entitled to some relaxation on tour to ''let off steam away from public scrutiny''.

However, Blackett stated that there is a ''need for a tighter rein on players when they are on England duty and they all need to be given clear guidelines about the limits of acceptable behaviour''.