Think Jarryd Hayne, Jack De Belin, Dylan Walker or Matt Lodge to name just a few.

Old Bar Beach Pirates are the latest club to come into focus after a group of men believed to be associated with the club were spotted at Newcastle Airport wearing offensive t-shirts.

So severe was the backlash - and rightly so - that the Country Rugby League ordered the club to immediately destroy any shirts displaying the words 'Rape and Pillage Tour 2019'.

Gone are the days where wearing shirts like this was possible without the intense scrutiny.

Old Bar officials denied having any involvement with the group and said those involved will be sanctioned. Regardless, it wasn't a good look.

There are no circumstances where it is okay to wear a t-shirt that says 'Rape and Pillage Tour 2019' as you are about to board a plane in a busy airport terminal on your end of season trip.

The challenge for all sporting codes and clubs is moving the culture that existed in the 60s and 70s forward to meet modern society's expectations.

It's about the direction of your club's moral compass, what standards your club wants and is willing to set and, more importantly, manage.

Port City Breakers have made t-shirt manufacturers aware of their expectations with regards to printing any merchandise depicting the club's brand.

Breakers president Geoff Kelly said managing community expectations had become part and parcel of running a sporting club in recent times.

"We have a few companies who do t-shirts for us," he said.

"These outlets are aware that they need to make sure the club is aware of what's being produced.

"We put that in place three or four years ago to stop that sort of thing happening, but if someone wants to take it on their own bat to do it online it makes it very hard to control."

While it was unfortunate what happened at Old Bar, but Kelly conceded it could have happened at any club in any sport.

"That means the volunteers at any of our clubs have to make sure we're as ready to stamp this out as best we can."

Kelly admitted standards had changed from 40 years ago.

"We're not living in the 60s or 70s anymore and things have changed; we need to make sure we keep up with that as best we can," he said.

"Community expectations have changed and it does put more of a spotlight on clubs to do the right thing than ever before."

The Breakers president also admitted running a sporting organisation in modern day society was undoubtedly more difficult than it had been in past decades.

Society's reliance on mobile phones and social media ensured every club - no matter what the code - had to be on their toes.

Prevention is always a better option than cure.

"Social media does make it very difficult in any area," Kelly said.

"Everyone has a phone and that can make running a club very difficult, but what happens down in Sydney or what happens in Melbourne doesn't necessarily mean it's happening in Port Macquarie."

Hastings Valley Vikings president David Barnes said educating players was a key factor.

They realised they had expectations to meet.

"Community standards have changed, but we need to educate our players and hope that filters down through the club all the way down to the fans," he said.

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