Wallabies prop Taniela Tupou was robbed outside the team’s hotel in Johannesburg on Saturday.
The Wallabies are staying at the Sandton Sun hotel ahead of the team’s opening Rugby Championship Test against the Springboks on Saturday.
A Wallabies spokesperson confirmed a member of the squad was the victim of a snatch and run less than 50m from the hotel in central Sandton at 21:15.
A male suspect grabbed Tupou’s phone and ran away before getting into a waiting vehicle. The prop initially thought it was one of his teammates. When Tupou realised he didn’t recognise the person, he gave chase and tried to grab it out of the car, and suffered minor cuts to his arm.
Tupou had been returning with eight players from an organised dinner across the road from the hotel.
The police were called to the scene and took statements from all the players.
The incident is believed to be part of a series of robberies in the area last night.
Apparently one of the Wallaby players has just been attacked just outside of the Sandton Sun where they are staying . He had his phone stolen, cuts all over him and glass in his arm. A great advert for our country?
— Cutmaker (@cutmaker) July 13, 2019
Photo: Mark Kolbe/Getty Images
