Portugal says players exonerated

The Portuguese Rugby Federation has issued a statement on the incidents which happened in Montevideo after their successful World Cup Qualifying round with Uruguay.

Six players were reported to have been arrested by the police in the Old Town of Montevideo and spent the night in prison before being released without charge.

Didio de Aguiar , the president of the management committee of Portuguese rugby issued a press release. Simon Dixon sent the following translation of the press release:

In view of news reports that have appeared in various media over recent days relating to incidents in Montevideo involving players of the national team following its historic qualification for Rugby World Cup 2007, the Management Committee of the Portuguese Rugby Federation considers that it is necessary to issue the following clarifications:

1. The incidents in question were not provoked by any player of the national team;

2. Some of the players were subjected to various forms of provocation and the local police authorities were called on to intervene;

3. The players of the national team were taken to a police station in order to be identified. Those players of the national team involved in the incidents were brought before an investigating judge who exonerated them of any responsibility for the occurrence, and consequently the players in question were immediately released.

The Management Committee of the Portuguese Rugby Federation wishes to take this opportunity to emphasise that it has never tolerated, does not tolerate and never will tolerate any acts of indiscipline by players representing this country at any level, and it is always the Committee's intention to impose forceful disciplinary measures in the event that any such acts of indiscipline should be established as having occurred.

The President of the Management Committee of the Portuguese Rugby Federation Didio de Aguiar