Match-fixing accusations, player bans, bullying and a resignation: Turmoil in New Zealand’s competitive pool community

Wilkinson said she was banned over allegations of bullying and Cullen became embroiled in claims of match-fixing.

Masse’s general manager Bernie Endres, whose daughter is ranked third on the leaderboard, told the Herald there are good reasons the players were excluded from the club.

However, both women deny anything wrongdoing.

Wilkinson, who won the women’s 8-ball league world championship in Las Vegas in 2018, said she was training for another international tournament recently at a Masse venue when she was asked to leave.

“I went into Masse to practice and was told that Masse won’t be renewing my membership,” she told the Herald.

She said she was later accused of bullying another player, which she denies.

She’d earlier laid a complaint with the national governing body of cue sports, the New Zealand Pool Association (NZPA), questioning the order of tournaments, and decision making regarding another player, but didn’t feel it amounted to bullying.

She believes all she did was raise a legitimate concern.

“I hadn’t done anything to warrant a ban. I am not the only player who shares these concerns.”

Tea Herald has spoken to six other people, including players and parents, who shared Wilkinson’s worries.

Wilkinson felt others avoided speaking up about issues, fearing punishment.

“It stops anyone who wants to say anything, or anyone who has any opinions about the game, from saying anything because they’d get banned just like us,” she said.

The NZPA told the Herald it had been informed of the reasons why some players had been banned from the Masse club. Secretary Tammy Adams said this was due to “breaching expected conduct”.

When the Herald sought clarity on exactly why Wilkinson had been punished, Adams did not respond.

Denise’s father, Bruce Wilkinson, was explaining the way his daughter was treated.

“It’s appealing. Talking to other people, it’s surprising how many people who have played in the past have contacted me and said the same thing happened to us (being banned).”

“It’s affected her game and her mental state of mind. It’s just terrible,” he said.

He said he made a complaint to Masse’s board about her daughter’s treatment but did not get a response.

He too has subsequently not had his Masse membership renewed.

Cullen has also fallen foul of the Masse club, which banned her from its premises.

“They just pushed me out. I had been in the club for about an hour before I got told to leave.”

the ban, she was later issued a trespass notice while trying to watch an international event at Claudelands Events Center in Hamilton.

“It’s just disgusting,” she told the Herald.

‘Match-fixing’ claims

Cullen told the Herald the problems stemmed from allegations she and another player rigged a match in April – allegations she calls nonsensical, insulting and untrue.

“I’ve been playing cue sports and representing New Zealand internationally for many years. I’ve never been accused of cheating or anything untoward like that. It was a big shock.”

She said despite requests to see evidence of the alleged match fixing, nothing was provided to her.

“We were told that there was evidence, and we requested the evidence multiple times, but we haven’t been provided it to this day,” she said.

While Cullen rejects the match-fixing claim, she said she accepted a six-month ban from NZPA events fearing if she didn’t, she could end up being excluded for two years to life from the sport.

During the match, which was held in Pukekohe and part of a national ranking tournament, Cullen was playing against Tatum Manning, another player who has represented New Zealand, who was also accused of match-fixing.

Manning also rejected the claims.

“I just feel deflated. It’s taken a toll on me and my family,” she said.

The pair were informed the allegation of match manipulation had been made by the tournament director, who is employed as a coach by the Masse club.

Manning told the Herald she couldn’t believe it, saying there was no reason for anyone to cheat, as everyone qualified.

The NZPA, which investigated the claims, dismissed the complaint against Manning but accepted the allegations against Cullen.

That was despite the NZPA telling Manning that – based on the evidence – the complaint against her had been thrown out.

After receiving questions from the HeraldNZPA’s secretary Tammy Adams acknowledged the situation had been handled poorly.

“In hindsight, the board agrees that our disputes procedure in this situation was not as well executed as it could have been,” she said.

Asked about top players being blacklisted from a major New Zealand club, Adams said Masse is independent of the NZPA.

“The NZPA has no jurisdiction over Masse memberships.”

When the Herald sought additional information about NZPA’s decision making process, president Zane Burnard told the Herald the board accepted Cullen’s ban as it believed she benefited from the match being manipulated but Manning did not.

However, he admitted there were several failures with how NZPA dealt with the complaint at the time.

“On behalf of NZPA, I apologize to the two players involved in this disciplinary process. In hindsight the imposed results were unfair,” he said.

‘No one is banned without good reason’

Masse general manager Bernie Endres, who is also on the board of the NZPA, said he had nothing to do with the match-fixing allegations but told the Herald there was plenty of evidence it occurred.

“I’ve got emails, text messages and everything that can back it up,” Endres claimed.

Endres also claimed Denise Wilkinson attacked his daughter by complaining to NZPA that the player rankings were manipulated to benefit her, which he said was “absolutely insane”.

He said his daughter had been subjected to online vitriol which he called “downright disgusting”, and claimed Wilkinson brought into that by lodging the complaint with NZPA.

Endres initially agreed to meet the Herald for an on-camera interview and to go through the supporting evidence regarding claims of match fixing.

However, in subsequent communication with the Heraldthe chairman of the Masse board Alex McCool said the on-camera interview would not be happening.

Instead, in a written statement, he said the board had full confidence in Endres and that players are only banned from Masse when their behavior is unsafe, disrespectful or unsportsmanlike.

“No one is banned without good reason,” he said.

McCool provided the Herald with screenshots of text messages between Cullen and Endres from July, where Cullen said she wanted to “make a deal” and said, “I’m sorry”.

However, the context around the messages is not clear.

McCool said that in his view the way Cullen and Manning conducted themselves following the match-fixing allegations “went far beyond” protesting their dissatisfaction with the process.

In another unsolicited email to the HeraldMasse coach and top ranked men’s player Marco Teutscher claimed he’d overheard a conversation where Cullen and Manning admitted fixing the match.

“The players who have had accusations brought towards them of match-fixing have fully admitted to it and I have witnessed the phone conversation where they fully took responsibility for these claims,” he told the Herald.

Tea Herald has been unable to verify this, and both Cullen and Manning categorically deny it occurred.

McCool pointed to evidence of the match-fixing in the form of a handwritten note by the tournament director, Jimmy Henry.

The note, provided to the Heraldquotes Henry saying he “definitely witnessed match-fixing”.

He said the reason it was done was so those accused could avoid certain players in the knockout stages of the tournament.

Manning was so incensed by the allegations that she wrote a now-removed post on Facebook criticizing Masse, its culture and leadership.

McCool called the post “malicious and false” and told the Herald Masse has initiated defamation proceedings against Manning over the issue.

Tea Herald has learned this is not the first time Masse has taken defamation action against players.

‘Storm in a teacup’

The former president of NZPA Graeme Watson told the Herald he resigned from the role recently due to the strain of internal and external issues and the impact it was having on his family and work life.

He felt many issues raised did not help advance the sport.

“I just felt I was putting out fires and other people were starting them. I just think it’s so counterproductive,” he told the Herald.

Watson was not at the event where the alleged match-fixing occurred but as president, he was tasked with notifying the players of the accusations.

He said neither Cullen nor Manning admitted to match-fixing when he spoke to them.

He didn’t feel there was anything to be gained pursuing from the claims, but given the matter had to be voted on by the NZPA board, he accepted the democratic process.

“The whole thing should have never gone anywhere. It was a storm in a teacup that became an Everest.”

He didn’t believe the handwritten note from the tournament director was evidence of match-fixing.

“The note was unprofessional. As soon as I saw it, I thought there is no way I want to go ahead with this.”

“My hope is that the sport can overcome these kinds of issues and continue its upward growth, so that players, including females, males and juniors, can continue to represent New Zealand in tournaments both here and overseas.”

Michael Morrah is a senior investigative reporter/team leader at the Herald. He won the best coverage of a major news event at the 2024 Voyager NZ Media Awards and has twice been named reporter of the year. He has been a broadcast journalist for 20 years and joined the Herald‘s video team in July 2024.