Thousands of dollars have been bid on an Internet auction site for the handbag used by former All Black captain Tana Umaga to strike team mate Chris Masoe and reduce him to tears.
Last weekend’s incident at a Christchurch bar after Masoe hit another patron has quickly become folklore and late on Friday morning the bidding had reached NZ$4 500 ($2 840).
All Black flanker Masoe reportedly burst into tears after Umaga hit him twice over the head in the early morning scuffle.
A total of 65 people had placed bids on the Trade Me auction website for the black handbag, which was being offered with a cellphone broken in the incident.
The players were out on the town early on Sunday after their Wellington Hurricanes side lost the Super 14 rugby final to the Canterbury Crusaders.
Masoe was later fined NZ$3 000 by rugby authorities while Umaga was cleared, saying he was trying to defuse the situation after Masoe punched a man who accidentally tripped him up.
The auction was due to end later on Friday, with the unnamed owner reportedly saying she might use part of the money to buy the Hurricanes a drink.
A T-shirt designer is reportedly also trying to cash in with a shirt showing Umaga dangling one of the Roxy handbags over his arm with the slogan: “Roxy, official handbag of the Hurricanes”. – AFP