Former All Black arrested at Full Time in UK

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Former All Black Mils Muliaina arrested in England in relation to an alleged sexual assault
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Last updated 15:35 04/04/2015

MICHAEL DALY

Connacht fullback Mils Muliaina is stopped by Jonny May (left) and James Hook of Gloucester shortly before being arrested at Kingsholm Stadium in relation to an alleged sexual assault.Getty Images
British and Irish media are reporting that former All Black Mils Muliaina has been arrested in relation to an alleged sexual assault in Wales.

Muliaina was arrested after his Connacht side's defeat to Gloucester on Saturday (NZ time), the Independent.ie news website reported.

"The All Black centurion was led away from the ground and put into a police van in the minutes after the match had concluded."

"A statement from Gloucestershire police read: 'A man in his 30s was arrested at Kingsholm Stadium tonight on suspicion of an alleged sexual assault in relation to an incident in Cardiff in March. It is a matter being dealt with my (sic) South Wales Police.'"

Muliaina played for his Irish club side against the Cardiff Blues in the Welsh capital on March 6, but the date for the alleged incident remains unclear.

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Connacht Tribune rugby correspondent Rob Murphy said a Connacht team spokesperson said the club had no comment on the incident and no information on what happened. "There is a general sense of shock here in press room and Connacht officials seem as stunned as we are. (Connacht coach and Samoan international) Pat Lam spoke but took no question on incident," Murphy said.

Journalist Linley Mackenzie, who covers Connacht rugby, said everybody seemed to be shocked by the arrest.

There had been no suggestion beforehand of any issue.

Team management were refusing to answer questions about Muliaina and she did not know if they had been aware of anything earlier.

She questioned whether Muliaina would have been named in the squad to go to Gloucester if management had thought there was a serious issue.

"It doesn't make any sense, if they did know anything," Galway-based Mackenzie, who is from New Zealand, said.

While Muliaina had been plagued by injuries during his time at Connacht, she said he was well-liked by the players and supporters.

"He's done such a great job here. He's done such a great job for the young lads," she said. He had been a perfect ambassador for the province.

She went to most Connacht games, including most of the away fixtures, and had seen Muliaina the morning after the Cardiff game, Mackenzie said.

"He was just Mils having a chat. There didn't seem anything untoward about him."

Earlier this week, Muliaina said he was moving to Italian side Zebre.

The 34-year-old joined Connacht last May, shifting from the Japanese scene where he had headed after making his 100th All Blacks appearance during the 2011 World Cup.

He arrived at Connacht in a player-mentor role. He struggled to overcome early injuries but has marked his work there by helping with captaincy duties.

During his time playing rugby in New Zealand, Muliaina found himself in hot water twice early in his career.

In 2002, the Auckland Rugby Union suspended him for two NPC games after he urinated near other patrons in a Parnell bar.

A year later, he got caught up in a scrap with some Auckland bouncers. In his autobiography, Muliaina said the incident happened after the Blues won the 2003 Super 12 final and after team-mate Doug Howlett threw a glass at a person serving at the bar.

As they were leaving the bar, he said they did everything they were told to, although some abuse was exchanged between the bouncers and players. "We jumped into a cab ... All of a sudden the roadside door was opened. I turned towards it and then I got a massive bollocking. They dragged me out of the taxi and three bouncers started laying into me."

Muliaina's eye socket was broken in the incident. A day or two later he was named in an All Black squad for the first time.