KEY POINTS:
Former rugby league international Brent Todd topped off "a very, very average year" with a brief appearance in Auckland District Court yesterday.
Todd, 42, listed on court documents as a film production worker, faces charges of conspiracy to commit fraud, allegedly carried out over a five-year period from 2000.
Todd, who flew back from his Queensland home to face a total of four charges laid by the Serious Fraud Office, is one of six people charged with the offences.
Other names include former NZ Kiwis captain Hugh McGahan, former All Black Doug Rollerson, former Touch NZ chief executive Dick Arnott and former Touch NZ employee Geoff Thompson.
Two others have also been charged, but their names are suppressed.
Touch New Zealand has said it is "gutted" by the allegations, said to involve hundreds of thousands of dollars of gaming machine money.
Chief executive Dale Stephens said his organisation had not been implicated in the charges.
It had co-operated fully with the Serious Fraud Office investigation, he said.
The money allegedly involved could have been used by Touch New Zealand to develop the sport at all levels at community, national and international levels.
"It could have really helped with our preparation for major events such as the Touch World Cup in South Africa next month, and for our bid next month to host the Touch World Cup in New Zealand in 2011," Mr Stephens said.
Todd entered no plea when he appeared before Judge Margaret Lee, but outside court vowed to fight the charges.
He told waiting media that if he had done anything wrong in his business dealings over the past five years, he would "front up and cop it on the chin".
"And my chin's big enough to cop it - but until I have been proved to have done something wrong I will fight the charges," the former league star said.
Todd said it had been "a very, very average year for me", and one that could only improve.
The matter is due to return to the district court on January 17, but all defendants have been excused from attending that hearing.
Todd left the court in a BMW van that he assured journalists was not his.
- Additional reporting NZPA
