New Zealand police were investigating a rape complaint against members of the England rugby team touring the country, the state television network reported yesterday.
Police would only say they were investigating an “allegation of a serious nature” about an incident in a private room at the Hilton Hotel in Auckland after the team was beaten on Saturday by the All Blacks.
“The England rugby team has been informed by Auckland police that an allegation has been made against four members of the England playing squad,” a team official said at a news conference. “Whilst no formal complaint has been made, we are cooperating with the police in their enquiries.”
Television New Zealand reported that some players had gone out drinking after Saturday’s match and when they returned to their five-star waterfront hotel in the early hours of Sunday “they had female company.”
The reporter said no formal complaint had been made and it remained an allegation but added: “It is believed that allegation has been made by a woman, and it is one of rape.”
Earlier, England manager Rob Andrew told newsmen: “Can I simply add the players concerned have the complete support of all players and management.
“I am sure you will understand and respect that no further comment can be made or questions asked of either myself or players on this matter,” he said.
North Korea’s FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup-winning team on Saturday received a heroes’ welcome back in the capital, Pyongyang, with hundreds of people on the streets to celebrate their success. They had defeated Spain on penalties after a 1-1 draw in the U17 World Cup final in the Dominican Republic on Nov. 3. It was the second global title in two months for secretive North Korea — largely closed off to the outside world; they also lifted the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in September. Officials and players’ families gathered at Pyongyang International Airport to wave flowers and North Korea flags as the
Taiwan’s top table tennis player Lin Yun-ju made his debut in the US professional table tennis scene by taking on a new role as a team’s co-owner. On Wednesday, Major League Table Tennis (MLTT), founded in September last year, announced on its official Web site that Lin had become part of the ownership group of the Princeton Revolution, one of the league’s eight teams. MLTT chief executive officer Flint Lane described Lin’s investment as “another great milestone for table tennis in America,” saying that the league’s “commitment to growth and innovation is drawing attention from the best in the sport, and we’re
Coco Gauff of the US on Friday defeated top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka 7-6 (7/4), 6-3 to set up a showdown with Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen in the final of the WTA Finals, while in the doubles, Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching was eliminated. Gauff generated six break points to Belarusian Sabalenka’s four and built on early momentum in the opening set’s tiebreak that she carried through to the second set. She is the youngest player at 20 to make the final at the WTA Finals since Denmark’s Caroline Wozniacki in 2010. Zheng earlier defeated Wimbledon champion Barbora Krejcikova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 7-5 to book
For King Faisal, a 20-year-old winger from Ghana, the invitation to move to Brazil to play soccer “was a dream.” “I believed when I came here, it would help me change the life of my family and many other people,” he said in Sao Paulo. For the past year and a half, he has been playing on the under-20s squad for Sao Paulo FC, one of South America’s most prominent clubs. He and a small number of other Africans are tearing across pitches in a country known as the biggest producer and exporter of soccer stars in the world, from Pele to Neymar. For
RSS