/ 19 June 2008

England players to be quizzed over hotel allegation

New Zealand police were expected to speak to four English rugby players on Thursday about a serious allegation over an incident in an Auckland hotel room, a report said.

Auckland detectives were expected to question the players in the city of Christchurch where the team is preparing for Saturday’s second Test against the All Blacks, the New Zealand Press Association said, without naming a source.

The alleged incident itself remained shrouded in mystery, with both police and the England management refusing to describe the nature of the claim.

It is said to have allegedly occurred hours after England were thrashed by the All Blacks in the first Test series.

Auckland police communications manager Noreen Hegarty refused to confirm whether the players would be spoken to on Thursday.

”I can’t make any further comment other than what we put out yesterday [Wednesday],” Hegarty said, adding it was unknown how long the police investigation would take. ”It’s an ongoing investigation and it will take its course.”

”It depends what the investigation throws up.”

Police confirmed on Wednesday that a ”serious allegation” had been made following an incident early on Sunday morning.

They said an incident had been brought to their attention on Sunday evening but no formal complaint had been made. The incident allegedly occurred in a private room at Auckland’s waterfront Hilton Hotel.

Hegarty would neither confirm nor deny a report by state-owned Television New Zealand on Wednesday quoting unnamed sources as saying the allegation related to the rape of a woman.

England’s acting head coach Rob Andrew confirmed the investigation in a brief statement on Wednesday but refused to take any questions at a press conference.

”Whilst no formal complaint has been made, we are cooperating with the police in their inquiries. In the circumstances, we are unable to make any further comment,” he added.

”Can I simply add, the players concerned have the complete support of all players and management.”

New Zealand press reports on Thursday quoted a woman who claimed about five women returned to the Hilton Hotel with English players after drinking with them at an Auckland bar early Sunday.

The woman, whom the New Zealand Herald said wanted to be named only as ”Angel Barbie”, said she had no knowledge of the allegation under police investigation.

The 22-year-old woman told the Herald she stayed the night with a player and continued sleeping when the team went for a swim and physiotherapy.

Later when they returned, she heard a loud noise coming from the hall and about four players came into the room. One grabbed the bed cover off her bed, exposing her half-dressed body, and ran down the hallway with the cover, the Herald reported.

”I think they were just sort of playing silly buggers and going round to all the rooms and seeing which girls were where,” she reportedly claimed. — AFP

 

AFP