KEY POINTS:
SYDNEY - English businessman Peter Burns says he has complained to New Zealand's Civil Aviation authority over the behaviour of Great Britain rugby league player Sean Long on a flight to Australia.
Long left the team and flew back to England shortly after arriving in Sydney from Wellington three weeks ago, saying he needed to be with his pregnant wife.
There has been publicity about his drunkenness on the flight from Wellington and Burns, who was in the same row as Long, said he was so disgusted with Long and a teammate's behaviour he had complained to Air New Zealand and Civil Aviation.
"I'm saying something because I felt threatened and because they were disgracing their country, my country," he told the Sun-Herald newspaper.
Burns said Long and another player were "drinking Baileys out of the bottle in the terminal".
They then emptied their Baileys bottles into water bottles before boarding their flight, he said.
He said they swore and sang foul songs.
Burns said he complained to a flight steward about them bringing alcohol on to the flight but they were later served wine with their food. "They were kicking chairs, sticking their bare feet through seats."
Some passengers were moved.
Burns said other British players seemed reluctant to do anything about the behaviour.
"They said I was a whingeing old git. I'm only 46 and pretty easy going, but no one should have to put up with that behaviour."
- NZPA
