Newcastle Knights skipper Mitchell Pearce's wedding called off over alleged text scandal

Newcastle Knights captain Mitchell Pearce's wedding has been called off days before the ceremony after he allegedly exchanged flirty texts with a young female employee at the club.

The 31-year-old was due to wed fiancée Kristin Scott in a lavish Byron Bay wedding in front of 150 guests on Tuesday, The Daily Telegraph reports.

Guests were informed of the cancellation as late as Christmas Eve, which had been attributed to the Covid-19 outbreak in Sydney.

The Telegraph reported that the the wedding was instead called off due to the text exchange between Pearce and the unnamed woman.

The incident has since been reported to Knights management.

“The Newcastle Knights are aware of the issue but it’s a private matter that stays between the two individuals,” a Knights spokesperson said.

Pearce told The Telegraph the pair, who became engaged earlier this year, are "sorting things out".

"It’s a really stressful time for us. It’s our business, no one else’s," he said. "We haven’t cancelled, we’ve postponed. I’m filthy about people spreading rumours."

An unnamed source said there had been "nothing physical" between the pair, instead calling the incident "stupidity on Mitchell’s behalf".

"A lot of people are upset about it," they added.

The couple are believed to have spent Christmas Day with their respective families.

Pearce was fined $125,000 and suspended for eight NRL games in 2016 following a binge-drinking incident in 2016.