Wellington - New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said Thursday that he had received a letter from his French counterpart Francois Fillon apologizing for the behaviour of a rugby player who lied about being attacked. Player Mathieu Bastareaud, 20, admitted that he lied about being assaulted outside the team's hotel in Wellington, following France's defeat by the New Zealand national All Blacks on June 20.
After police said video evidence showed that he entered the hotel about 5 am the next day uninjured, Bastareaud said he had fallen in his room when drunk and hit his head on a bedside table.
French newspapers later reported that a fellow team member punched Bastareaud because he was drunk and aggressive.
Fillon wrote in his letter to Key: "Through his untruthful statements, which led you to intervene publicly, he seriously undermined the reputation of your country and his inhabitants. Please believe I deplore this incident.
"Our two countries share the same rugby culture. This sport has always allowed us to meet and to share a mutual respect. I hope that these sentiments will continue after this regrettable affair."
Key told Radio New Zealand that the incident ran the risk of marring New Zealand's international reputation for hosting sporting events, and he welcomed the apology as recognizing the significance of the issue.
