Kiwis discipline players

New Zealand have taken disciplinary action against players at the centre of allegations of sexual assault.

The Kiwis arrived in England for their three-match Test series against Great Britain under a cloud amid the allegations made by a young woman following an incident at a hotel in Lower Hutt in the wake of their 58-0 defeat by Australia in Wellington last Sunday.

The woman dropped charges on Saturday but NZRL chairman Andrew Chalmers, who had previously been tight-lipped on the matter, revealed that disciplinary measures had been taken against the unnamed Kiwi players involved in the alleged incident.

He declined to name the players involved or the nature of the punishments.

"We're glad the police have resolved the matter but we regret what happened and want to make it clear we don't condone the behaviour that prompted the police investigation," said Chalmers.

"While no criminal charges will be laid, there were clear breaches of team protocols from the players concerned and disciplinary action has been taken accordingly.

"As this has now become an internal matter and an employment issue, it would be inappropriate to publicly name the players involved or to disclose the details of the disciplinary action we have taken."

Chalmers said the NZRL has already begun a review of its policies and management structure in relation to tour conduct.

"All players have been reminded of the expectations we have of them including their contractual obligations and the code of conduct we have in place," he said. "We won't accept any breach of team protocol and we will continue to drive that message home to the players."

The Kiwis kick off their Test series in Huddersfield next Saturday.