Collymore alleges assault by rugby players

Former English soccer player Stan Collymore has engaged a team of lawyers after accusing a number of Bath Rugby players of assaulting…

Former English soccer player Stan Collymore has engaged a team of lawyers after accusing a number of Bath Rugby players of assaulting him in Dublin city centre early on Sunday morning.

Collymore says he was subjected to racist taunts before being attacked by up to eight players from the club - including a number of high profile internationals. He claims this was sparked by a row with Bath players in Lillie's Bordello nightclub.

The former Liverpool and Aston Villa striker is understood to have been treated in hospital for a broken nose, suspected fractured elbow and bruised ribs.

Collymore told a British tabloid newspaper that one Bath player called him a "kaffir", a derogatory South African term for black people.

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Collymore's representative Mr Simon Kennedy said: "Stan was the recipient of a brutal and cowardly assault which took place in the early hours of yesterday morning."

"The assault was both physical and racial. The key part, as far as Stan was concerned, was racial." Mr Kennedy said the former England striker will visit a UK police station within the next 24 hours to make a full statement, having identified "80 per cent of the perpetrators".

"If the Garda require us to go back to Dublin he (Collymore) will comply because on this issue he is blameless," said Mr Kennedy.

Gardaí this evening denied reports they were investigating the alleged attack saying no formal statement had been made to them.

However a spokesman confirmed that a complaint was made to gardaí in Pearse Street at around 3.30 a.m. yesterday.

Bath Rugby Club are investigating the alleged incident and the English Rugby Football Union is "monitoring the matter carefully" and have asked for a copy of their report.