Vodafone Fiji 7s coach, Ben Ryan says the woman who is quoted in a news.com.au article that Ryan cut short a press interview with Ryan and Jarryd Hayne in London, is completely misinformed.
Ryan told Fijivillage from London that he was very happy to answer questions and no one asked Ryan who he was when he was being interviewed.
He says he stopped the interview because a security guard was asking the reporters to move back behind the area that they were allowed to film in and they started to verbally abuse him.
Ben Ryan says he could not watch that sort of behaviour and not hold his values so he stopped the interview.
Ryan says the standard you walk past is the standard you become.
He told us that he found some of their behaviour unacceptable and this is not how you should treat someone trying to do their job.
News.com.au reported that the press conference ended in controversy when he cut it short in protest at the behaviour of some members of the media.
The Australian’s European correspondent Jacquelin Magnay wrote that Ryan was initially upset because a TV reporter asked him his name, and then he claimed the media was rude to an over‑officious security official demanding television cameras move a foot further back onto the pavement.
Ryan also took to Twitter to defend his actions, saying the media had verbally abused the hotel staffer.
Meanwhile Jarryd Hayne is now with the Fiji team in London.
Speaking in London, Hayne says he spoke to Waisale Serevi before deciding to try out for the Fiji 7s team.
Hayne is confident that he will do well, and Ben Ryan will pick him based on his abilities.
The Fiji Rugby Union says that should Jarryd Hayne be selected for the London 7s, then all media will need to apply for their access into the London 7s through the tournament organizers and can then interview him after the games.
The FRU says if Hayne is not selected, then a press statement will be released by Ben Ryan on Friday before the tournament kicks off.
The national side will face England at 11.04pm Saturday in their first pool match of the London 7s.
Fiji will then play Wales at 1.48am Sunday while the last pool match against Australia will be at 4.54am Sunday.
The Cup Quarter‑finals will start at 9:58pm Sunday while the Cup semifinals will kick off at 1:48am Monday.
The Cup final will kick off at 4:57am Monday.
Jarryd Haynes fronts media in UK. All cool but his Fiji coach Ben Ryan storms off. pic.twitter.com/X8hLj6Xbdp
— Jacquelin Magnay (@jacquelinmagnay) May 16, 2016