Jesse Kriel during the South African national rugby team captains run at Principality Stadium on November 23, 2018 in Cardiff, Wales. (Photo by Steve Haag/Gallo Images)
The Springboks caused a major embarrassment ahead of this past weekend’s Test against Wales after forcing an evacuation of their team hotel due to a bogus bomb scare.
According to the Daily Mail, hotel staff at the Hilton Hotel in Cardiff called local police after a suspicious “package” had been spotted in one of the Bok players’ laundry.
To compound matters, a further search discovered a burka outfit, allegedly belonging to outside centre Jesse Kriel.
The bomb threat was dismissed after authorities determined the “package” was merely a digital clock.
The publication speculates that Kriel had apparently acquired the outfit to wear for an after-match party on Saturday.
Police had interrupted the Boks’ captain’s run at the Principality Stadium to take Kriel and two other unnamed players to the hotel.
It was then that they found the burka.
“At 2pm on Friday, November 23, there was an incident where our housekeeping team discovered a suspicious package in one of the bedrooms,” read a statement from the hotel.
“She notified hotel management and, as per our protocol, we evacuated bedrooms above and below the floor in question and contacted the police immediately. They investigated promptly and, fortunately, quickly gave the all-clear.”
Kriel and the two other players were given a warning.
Team management declined to comment.
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