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New Zealand rugby team ask for police to investigate after claims they were bugged

The All Blacks have turned to the boys in blue in  Australia to ask them to investigate afte...



New Zealand rugby team ask for...
Rugby

New Zealand rugby team ask for police to investigate after claims they were bugged

The All Blacks have turned to the boys in blue in  Australia to ask them to investigate after they discovered that a room in their hotel was bugged.

The New Zealand rugby team are in Sydney for their Rugby Championship match against Australia, but they have asked for an investigation to be launched after they found a listening device at their hotel.

According to RTÉ, the device was found in a "cushion of a chair in the room where the players meet with coaching staff to discuss tactics for their matches."

A statement from New Zealand rugby outlined that their hotel launched an investigation in the wake of the incident, and that "we have informed the Australian Rugby Union, and jointly we have now decided to hand over the investigation to the Australian police."

The device was discovered on Monday by All Blacks security officials, but not reported to the police until six days later. Speaking about the incident at a press conference, the New South Wales police admitted that "any delay in any investigation's always tough but we'll look at that information.

"We will be looking at all the avenues and what part of the legislation it comes under," said Superintendent Brad Hodder, adding "in particular, we'll look at telecommunications offences and the Devices Listening Act."

According to the New Zealand Herald, the cushion of the chair had been "deliberately and carefully cut" in order to hide the device, which was later sewed or glued back together in a "highly skilled and meticulous act, and whoever put it there would have needed a significant amount of time to have pulled off such an accomplished job."

Bill Pulver of the Australian Rugby Union denied any knowledge of the events or how the device got there, saying: "It is completely ludicrous. I just think it's a ludicrous concept that there are listening devices being placed in team rooms. I don't know how that could happen."

Via The New Zealand Herald

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