24 Jun 2009

Women come forward over Bastareaud incident

5:08 pm on 24 June 2009

Police in Wellington say they are speaking to a number of women who have come forward over a reported attack on a member of the French rugby team on Sunday.

Mathieu Bastareaud, 20, has said he was attacked by at least two men near his central city hotel following his team's Test against the All Blacks.

Police have been trying to trace two women a security camera filmed going into a Wellington hotel with three French rugby players on Sunday morning.

They say a number of young women have come forward to confirm that they were accompanying members of the French team during the early hours.

Witnesses have confirmed locations and timings of team members during Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Bastareaud says he is astonished by the amount of media interest.

In a statement issued on his return to France, Bastareaud says what happened was an everyday occurrence which could happen to anybody.