Ex-All Black Umaga’s cousin Collins held on knife charge
(03-20 16:21)
All Black Tana Umaga said he was worried after his cousin and ex-team-mate Jerry Collins was arrested in Japan on charges of illegally carrying a kitchen knife.
The former New Zealand captain told AFP that he had yet to hear from Collins who had been arrested on Saturday at a Japanese department store.
“I'm not really too sure what's happened,’’ said Umaga, capped 74 times for New Zealand. He is in Hong Kong for the Tens rugby tournament, where he is coaching the APB All Stars. “We're all worried about him and we just want to see how he is.''
According to press reports, 48-cap veteran Collins, 32, who has been playing in Japan, caught a security guard's attention when he went behind a sales counter at the store in the central city of Hamamatsu. When approached, the flanker pulled out the 17-centimetre blade from his pocket and placed it on the counter.
It is illegal to carry weapons with blades longer than 15 centimeters without police permission in Japan.
Japanese police declined to comment, as a report in New Zealand said Collins' detention had been extended by 10 days.
Umaga, 39, said he felt “like everyone else’’ when asked if he was shocked by the arrest. .
Collins, who captained a Test match against Argentina in 2006, told police that he “kept the kitchen knife for self-defense,’’ according to reports.
He played for Yamaha Jubilo in Japan's Top League from 2011 and left the team last month when his two-year contract expired.
|
|
|
|
