Rugby player convicted for sharing covert sex video of woman

Leslie Topia Barrowcliffe, a 20-year-old rugby player from Taranaki, has been convicted for creating and sharing a covert video of a sexual encounter without the woman's consent. His appeal to suppress his name and overturn the conviction was dismissed by the High Court. Barrowcliffe was sentenced to 12 months of supervision and ordered to pay $1,500 in reparation. Following the court's decision, he has been removed from the Taranaki Rugby Academy and is no longer part of the Chiefs under-20s squad. The incident occurred in August 2023, when Barrowcliffe and another man filmed a woman in a shower without her knowledge. The video was later shared among rugby players, leading to significant distress for the victim, who felt violated and betrayed.