Stripper: My shock over raucous top rugby stars
End-of-season celebration on boat ‘left staff in fear for their safety’
ONE of Britain’s top rugby clubs hired a private detective to investigate claims of debauchery during an end-of-season riverboat party.
Wasps players booked the Hurlingham floating nightclub for a cruise along the Thames, but their riotous behaviour is alleged to have left staff in tears and fearing for their safety.
Boarding at Richmond, South-West London, just after 2pm, the 42strong party included England player James Haskell, who is dating Chloe Madeley, the daughter of former daytime TV stars Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan.
Included in the party was stripper Keri Graham, 47, who once performed a lap dance for Simon Cowell on Britain’s Got Talent.
They joined six crew members, including two female bar staff and a DJ, and were immediately given welcome cocktails.
According to Ms Graham, some players took part in a ‘weird’ sexual forfeit involving beer bottles during the party, which was arranged by the players, not the club.
While she was not involved herself, Ms Graham said in a statement, taken on behalf of the club by a detective, that the game left her feeling sick. Others were said to be disgusted, and at one point it is claimed that a barmaid burst into tears.
The club brought in private investigator William Merritt after being confronted with these and other allegations by agents acting for the boat operator, Out On The Thames.
Merritt contacted Ms Graham and she detailed several incidents of a lewd nature.
Of her own performance for the players, she said: ‘It would be classed as a risqué, naughty show and only the type of show you would do in front of a group of men.’
In her statement, Ms Graham denied having sex with any of the players and said: ‘None of them touched me’.
But a spokesman for Eye Candy UK, the agency that booked Ms Graham for the party, claimed she had been ‘horrified’ by what went on.
Last night Wasps denied the allegations but declined to comment.
Out On The Thames boss Bob Hunter said: ‘We are unable to comment on anything at the moment.’