May 1 (Reuters) - Irish club Munster have cancelled Roger Randle's appointment as assistant coach following a backlash over historic rape allegations against the New Zealander.
Randle was accused of rape while playing for the Wellington Hurricanes in Durban in 1997. The charges were dropped and Randle has always maintained his innocence.
His appointment to join fellow New Zealander Clayton McMillan's staff sparked criticism from supporters and activists, while raising governance concerns at the club after three members of its Professional Game Board resigned.
"This has been a difficult conclusion to reach, but after recent discussions, it became clear that this was the best course of action for Roger, his family and Munster Rugby," Munster General Manager Ian Costello said in a statement.
Randle, an assistant coach for Waikato Chiefs in Super Rugby Pacific, said he was deeply saddened that "unfounded allegations from nearly 30 years ago" had resurfaced.
"It became clear that the renewed public attention around these allegations had created circumstances where proceeding with the role was no longer the right outcome for our family," he said in the Munster statement.
"I want to state clearly that these claims are false, and I maintain my complete and unwavering innocence, as I always have."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Christopher Cushing)
