NZ rugby player still held over rape accusation

A former Waikato representative is reportedly one of three Grenoble rugby players who remained in detention on Thursday after being accused of taking part in a gang rape following a match in the southwestern French city of Bordeaux nearly two weeks ago.

The three detained players were among a group of six from the Top 14 club placed in custody on Wednesday.

Police said the six players were New Zealand pair Rory Grice and Dylan Hayes, prop Denis Coulson and centre Chris Farrell, both from Ireland, former Australia player Peter Kimlin and French hooker Loick Jammes.

Both news agency AFP and French newspaper Le Dauphine Libere reported the three men still being held were Grice, Jammes and Coulson. Grice’s lawyer, Philip Fitzgerald, confirmed his client remained in custody.

‘‘My client is very calm and he was eager to meet police questions about the case,’’ Fitzgerald told Le Dauphine Libere.

‘‘I do not wish to comment on the substance of the proceedings. The fact is that the custody measure, for a very high level player, can be devastating, especially when it is made public. But the presumption of innocence must be reaffirmed and my client has always been exemplary.’’

The lawyer for Hayes, Arnaud Lucien was reported by AFP as stating his client’s ‘‘sole desire is to get back to the club and play rugby’’.

Kimlin and Farrell said on Twitter that they had been helping police investigate the case involving the 21-year-old woman.

‘‘I’m finally home after a long day helping the police with their investigation,’’ Kimlin tweeted on Thursday (Friday NZT). ‘‘I want to clarify that I wasn’t arrested. I was purely at the police station to help establish a timeline.’’

The players had provisionally been suspended by Grenoble before they were quizzed by investigators, but the club said they were presumed innocent.

‘‘As a result of reckless media today, I want to clarify that I was asked to attend police station Grenoble to assist as a ‘WITNESS’,’’ Farrell posted on Twitter.

Alliot said in a statement on Thursday that the players were questioned after a young woman filed a legal complaint that she had been raped. According to French media, the woman had met the players in a nightclub after the March 11 game and told investigators she was raped in a hotel.

Alliot added that the three remaining in custody could be detained until Friday morning for the purpose of the investigation.

Fairfax NZ