Rugby Players Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Teenager

Two rugby league players, Hayden Charles Topliss, 37, and Ryan Matthew Hawkshaw, 27, have been found guilty by a jury of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old girl. The verdict, delivered after a day of deliberations at Newcastle's District Court on Wednesday, found both men guilty of four charges of aggravated sexual assault in company. Topliss was also convicted of sexual intercourse without consent.

The court heard that the assault occurred in Scone, New South Wales, in April 2023. The woman had met Hawkshaw and Topliss after finishing work, and they went to Topliss's house for drinks. According to reports, the woman and Hawkshaw were engaged in consensual sex when Hawkshaw invited Topliss to join, despite the woman stating she did not want to. Hawkshaw proceeded to call Topliss, who entered the room naked shortly after.

The jury heard that the woman was assaulted by both men despite her telling them to stop. She reported that Topliss pushed her onto the bed while Hawkshaw inserted his fingers into her mouth and forced her head toward his genitals. The court was also told that Hawkshaw pulled the woman by her hair, and Topliss forcibly removed her pants and moved her legs.

Defense attorneys attempted to portray the victim as a "willing participant" who had later altered her memory of the events. However, the woman maintained that she was attacked, describing the ordeal as "torture." Topliss's defense barrister argued that the woman's initial complaint to her sister was "vague or obscure" and suggested she regretted a consensual encounter. The jury rejected these arguments, ruling that the woman was raped multiple times.

In addition to the sexual assault charges, Topliss was found guilty of a separate charge of sexually touching another person without consent. This incident involved groping a woman on the dance floor of a pub in Scone in 2024.

Topliss and Hawkshaw were remanded into custody and are scheduled to be sentenced on November 25.