An Australian NRL player has avoided conviction after he exposed his backside to, or "mooned", a park ranger following a dog walking dispute, vowing he will "keep my pants up" following the ordeal.
Cronulla Sharks forward Toby Rudolf appeared in Sutherland Local Court in New South Wales on Thursday, after pleading guilty to offensive behaviour over the January incident.
The 30-year-old had been walking his two rescue dogs in Cronulla when he was approached by a park ranger because he only had one leash.
Police said Rudolf became frustrated after the ranger threatened to take one of the dogs. The encounter appeared to be over when the ranger returned to his car, but Rudolf had other ideas.
A police fact sheet said Rudolf "bent over, pulled down his shorts to expose his buttocks, and spread the buttocks with his right hand”.
The incident landed him with an offensive behaviour charge and the prospect of a AU$660 (NZ$789) fine.
However, Rudolf was granted a section 10 in court — meaning no conviction was recorded despite the guilty plea. The court instead told him to remain on good behaviour for nine months.
Rudolf acknowledged his actions after his court appearance, admitting it "definitely wasn’t my finest moment".
“I’m remorseful for what I did, but a fair verdict was reached at the end of the day. I’m not perfect, far from it," he said.
"I'm looking forward to rectifying my mistakes and walking my dogs on a leash from now on.
"I’m looking forward to getting back out on the field and keeping my pants up."
Rudolf also saw the funny side when asked about the unwanted exposure, saying his Sharks teammates were already familiar with the sight.
“I’m pretty confident in my skin, usually [that image] doesn’t leave the locker room, and I’ll look to keep it that way in the future, for sure."
The Cronulla Sharks said Rudolf had shown "genuine remorse" over the incident and had submitted a letter of apology to the court, but condemned the behaviour as not appropriate for someone representing the club.
Rudolf had been sidelined from the sport with a knee injury since June, but had recently returned to playing.
He said negotiations over a new Sharks contract were likely to accelerate now that court proceedings had wrapped up.
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