Source: Radio New Zealand
Tasmyn Benny alleges that NZ Boxing coach Meehan showed little interest in women’s boxing. Photosport
An alleged culture of sexism, favouritism and bullying has driven a top Kiwi boxer to walk away from an incredibly promising amateur career.
The Sport Integrity Commission has been investigating Boxing NZ, as originally reported by 1News, and its head coach Billy Meehan, who Commonwealth Games medalist Tasmyn Benny said killed her passion for the sport.
Described as a ‘boys club’ rife with verbal abuse, sexually inappropriate behaviour and misogyny, Benny said she was made to feel powerless and without a voice in the environment.
“You can’t really go to Boxing New Zealand because t’s all made of his family and friends. They’re all in the same circle.”
Benny said that as a coach, Meehan showed little interest in women’s boxing.
“We had two worlds, and he didn’t go to either, but he went to the men’s. I don’t think he takes it as seriously as the boys.”
Meehan has not responded to the allegations.
Benny said the level of misogyny was confronting.
“Certain other female athletes have had their ass slapped and certain things like that. It’s a boys club with the coaches joking about certain things. They ask us ‘what type of nipples we like on a guy?’ and just questions that probably shouldn’t be asked.”
Benny said she felt she had no choice but to leave the sport behind but she isn’t doing so without one more fight, saying she felt she had to speak up for future female fighters.
“I don’t want this to happen to any other boxers. I can just see in the future young teenage girls going into the sport and having to deal with this and they shouldn’t have to. I felt like I had to be quiet when I was in there. Like I just had to do what I’m told and be quiet, and I don’t think you should feel that way, you should feel supported.”
Benny said that coaches would indulge in heavy drinking during overseas trips.
“They’d come in drunk. That’s why we’d get asked inappropriate questions. A lot of people were uncomfortable. After dinner, I went to my room because I didn’t want to really be around it.”
She also said suggestive notes were left on doors, written by coaches, pretending to be fellow boxers.
The problematic behaviour was also brought into the gym.
“Every time someone wasn’t at training, they were spoken about behind their backs, he constantly degraded them about how shit they are for not toughening up. “
Billy Meehan is accused of fostering a sexist and inappropriate culture at NZ Boxing. Supplied/ NZ Boxing
Benny did try to resolve things with Meehan.
“We sat down with him professionally and said, ‘look what you’re doing isn’t what we need at the moment.’ We tried to explain what we need out of him and our training, and we basically got told that we’re unfit and shit.”
After winning bronze at the Commonwealth Games in 2018, Benny said she noticed a shift at the organisation.
“All the management and coaching changed for New Zealand boxing and that’s when everything went downhill. Billy was in charge the whole time. The people that he sent on certain trips didn’t know how to do things that we need as coaches for women’s worlds. In India, we got sent with someone who wasn’t able to get into the ring, he physically couldn’t get up the stairs and so, we went in the ring with a random coach who hardly spoke English.
She said the “nail in the coffin” came during a trip to the Solomon Islands.
“The whole coaching crew just didn’t speak to me and another girl on the team the whole trip there. They basically just ignored us the whole time. And then right before our fight, because we went and did our own training with our home coach who was there with Fiji, they yelled at us for that right before we were supposed to hop in the ring.
“After I got out of the ring, I had wraps on, I asked them to cut them off and Billy told me to f*** off to Fiji. That was basically all he said to me the whole trip.”
She said she was beaten before stepping into the ring.
“I’m already nervous because this is the fight to make the Olympics and I should be getting told what to do, getting my confidence up rather than shut down.”
Despite her ordeal, Benny is determined to get back in the ring one day.
“I’ve actually started training again now, but I think I’m going to try go pro. I don’t want to be with the Boxing New Zealand Association. I took a few years off because of that. There was no point because I couldn’t go anywhere with them. So it was like, ‘what’s the point in training?’”
Meehan has been contacted for comment while the Integrity Commission has defended the delay in a resolution.
“While we do not believe it is appropriate for us to publicly discuss the investigation involving Boxing NZ, we are comfortable that our investigation team have acted appropriately and as promptly as can be reasonably expected, in all the circumstances that exist in this matter.”
Benny is clear on what that resolution should be.
“I hope that he is banned from being the coach. Basically they need to tear it down and build up the New Zealand boxing because we ain’t going to get any medals with how it’s now.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
