Wallabies coach Ewen McKenzie denies affair with staff member

Australia coach Ewen McKenzie denied having an affair with a staff member as a row over allegedly offensive texts sent by Kurtley Beale took an unexpected twist on Friday.

A stony-faced McKenzie rejected rumours about his relationship with business manager Di Patston, who is on stress leave following a mid-flight argument with Beale during last week's trip to Argentina.

Beale was suspended from the Argentina game over the argument, and was later barred from selection indefinitely after the emergence of "deeply offensive text messages" concerning a member of staff.

"I've got a professional relationship with her. And I refute that," McKenzie said when asked if he had an "intimate" relationship with Patston.

The Wallabies coach, who is married with children also said: "There are people out there and that there's some sort of campaign to impugn, that's [not] the situation." Beale is under investigation by the Australian Rugby Union over both the argument and the text messages, and is expected to face a hearing early next week.

Australian media reports said the situation had become divisive in the Wallabies camp, which was also reeling from last week's 21-17 defeat in Mendoza - Argentina's first win in the Rugby Championship.

But McKenzie said: "I don't think I have a divided camp. I know there's been lots of talk in the newspapers and everyone's got an opinion, but I know the playing group."