By 3 News online staff
It was reported earlier that four members of the New Zealand Under-20 rugby team, the Baby Blacks, were allegedly involved in what has been described as a gang rape in Cape Town, South Africa.
South African newspaper The New Age is reporting that a 22-year-old Cape Town woman was raped in a room at the Southern Sun Hotel Newlands after the team lost their IRB Under-20 world title to the Baby Boks 22-16 on Friday night.
The New Age says that the New Zealand High Commission had been locked in “top-level negotiations with police officials” to get a safe passage home for the team. It also described the investigation as "very low profile and hushed".
Police spokesperson Col Vish confirmed that a woman had laid a complaint of rape and police were called to the hotel on Saturday morning local time.
“I can confirm that a woman claimed that she was raped at the hotel,” he said. “The victim could not tell detectives who raped her because she couldn’t remember anything about the incident,” the newspaper reported Mr Vish as saying.
It’s understood that police forensic experts were on the scene and samples had been taken.
The New Zealand Rugby Union has spoken with 3 News and completely denies their players were involved.
The NZRU says that the team and management fully cooperated with police inquiries and officials found no reason to detain them in South Africa.
The NZRU also told 3 News that the investigation focussed on one player not four.
3 News has also spoken with the team’s coach Rob Penney who did not want to comment but supported the NZRU’s comments and says it is in line with what he knows of the incident.
3 News