Umaga and Masoe in bar brawl!

[Shayne]

Retired All Black captain Tana Umaga and his Hurricanes teammate Chris Masoe are being investigated after an altercation at a Christchurch bar involving the two.

Hurricanes team management acknowledged the incident the players' alleged involvement in a terse and brief statement released on Sunday, but declined to elaborate.
Umaga turned 33 on Saturday, but it is not sure if the incident had something to do with his birthday and post-match celebrations.
Earlier in the day the Hurricanes were beaten 19-12 by the Crusaders in the inaugural Super 14 Final.
According to earlier unconfirmed reports Masoe assaulted a patron at a Christchurch bar in the early hours of Sunday morning and Umaga had then allegedly attacked Masoe, because of his behaviour. Some reports claimed that Umaga used a female's handbag to attack Masoe.

http://www.rugby365.com/TOURNAMENTS/Super_12/Tournament_News/story_51468.shtml

And the jokes are already circulating......

947

948

949

[biffon]

haha - i was gonna post it but you beat me to it.....

[biffon]

Umaga 'hits Masoe with handbag'
From correspondents in Wellington, New Zealand
May 29, 2006

NEW Zealand rugby officials are investigating allegations that Hurricanes and All Blacks forward Chris Masoe punched a patron in a bar before being hit by teammate and former All Blacks captain Tana Umaga, who was armed with a woman's handbag.
Masoe, one of the "Devil's Henchmen", the Hurricanes' trio of loose forwards, was reported to have burst out crying when Umaga hit him.
The brawl erupted at 7am yesterday morning after the Hurricanes had spent the night commiserating following their 19-12 Super 14 final loss to the Crusaders.
A 24-year-old Christchurch man, who did not want to be identified, told The Press that he was in a bar where Masoe, who had been drinking and playing pool, tripped over his feet.
Masoe then turned and punched the man in the jaw, the patron alleged.
"He just hit me in the side of the jaw," the man said. "Masoe started crying. It was crazy." The 22-year-old woman who owned the handbag said she couldn't believe what happened.
"I mean a handbag, of all things," she told The Press. "How hilarious... he hit him pretty hard. We heard it crack across the bar. He cracked him up the side of the head twice.

"The Chris guy got quite upset and started crying. They got them out the back door of the bar."
Hurricanes public relations manager Greg Palmer issued a statement saying team management had been advised about an incident involving Masoe and Umaga in a Christchurch bar.
"The matter is now being investigated by Hurricanes team management, and further information will be provided once the details surrounding the incident have been fully established," Palmer said.
"Due to the fact that information is still being gathered, it would be unfair to prejudge the events that occurred until a full and accurate picture is available."
All Blacks manager Darren Shand would not say whether the incident would affect Masoe's future, but he said all incidents involving All Blacks players and alcohol were investigated, even if the players concerned were not in camp with the Test squad at the time.
"We need to investigate the incident and then determine what happens from there," Shand said.


-----
I also read in the newspaper that they were thrown out of the bar by a woman bouncer... not being sexist or anything - its just funny that "handbag", "crying" and "female bouncer" were all used in conjunction with two of the hardest/meanest characters in Rugby