IALA: The Lions Tour Manager John Spencer being assaulted at a well known Auckland venue.
John Spence the Lions Chief Tour Manager, was assaulted and has been subjected to foul-mouthed abuse by a drunken Kiwi diner. Spence was having dinner with his wife and friend at a popular venue, Depot, Spencer was not wearing full attire at the moment but his friend was wearing a Lions T-Shirt. The nearby people couldn't help but witness the former England captain. Spencer was a member of the Lions 1971 tour, the only victorious Lions tour to New Zealand.
The drunken Kiwi politely asked for a photograph to be taken, then suddenly acted aggressively. He cursed Spencer, and the started using foul language against him.
He then pushed the man away, asking to be left alone. None of the staff members acted upon the incident, although there is no suggestion that they or the establishment failed to take care in relation to the episode.The Lions have not made a complaint or asked for action to be taken but are understood to be quietly angry at the fact one of their senior members was in a unsettling experience. On the whole, The Lions head coach, Warren Gatland, his staff and the team have been well cared for since their arrival in New Zealand.
This incident relates to an incident that happened two weeks ago, where a Lions fan suffered facial cuts after being punched by a local spectator at Eden Park during the Auckland Blues home game. Stewards moved in quickly and police reported that two men were escorted out of the stadium, which is staging the opening test. And when they played against the Maori All Blacks Gatland and his assistants were repeatedly abused by one of the spectators seated above the coaches box. Depot have been contacted for further information.
What do I think about this article?
The Lions are guests to New Zealand, and hearing that some Kiwi's can't help but mock and abuse the guests is tearing the reputation of New Zealand apart. Sometimes we need to move away from the business and find out places, places that are peaceful where we can find our inner selves.
To hear about the experiences some Lions players are going through, makes me think that we can' handle ourselves when other countries come here to represent and try to beat the best team in the world. I hope that no more unsettling experiences come across or happen to the Lions team as they only have 4 games left of their tour before they leave back home.
Something I enjoyed was getting to read about the recent activity of the Lion tour team.
Feel free to leave a comment.
Many thanks :P
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