15 Sep 2008

NZRU considers options after spy claim

2:57 pm on 15 September 2008

The New Zealand Rugby Union is weighing up its options following allegations an All Blacks training session was filmed and passed on to the Australian team.

The All Blacks won the game 28-24 to clinch their fourth consecutive Tri-Nations title and the Bledisloe Cup in Brisbane on Saturday night.

It has been reported that Australia's Channel 7 passed on training footage of the All Blacks to the Wallabies, which the network denies.

All Blacks management say cameras were at the session but they asked for them to be turned off. However, they cannot confirm whether any film was handed to the Australian team.

All Blacks assistant coach Steve Hansen says an Australian official told All Black management after Saturday's win that Channel 7 secretly filmed at least one training run and passed the footage on to the Wallabies.

The Australian team and a Channel 7 cameraman, who did admit filming a two-and-a-half minute news item through trees, vigorously deny the spying claim.

Australian rugby officials are strongly denying allegations they used the footage to enhance their game. A spokesperson for Australian coach Robbie Deans also strongly denied the allegations, saying they are not even worth commenting on.

However, the New Zealand Rugby Union says it stands by the allegations.

All Blacks manager Darren Shand told Morning Report on Monday he believes there are a number of questions to consider concerning training sessions, including player security and protecting the team's game tactics.

Mr Shand says that in South Africa recently, about 2000 people turned up to what was thought to be a closed training session in Cape Town.