Kelleher ‘sorry’ for Toulouse street brawl

STADE TOULOUSAIN’S former All Black scrum half Byron Kelleher has publicly apologised for his part in a drink-fuelled incident in the southern French city which saw the player spend a night in a Toulouse jail cell. Kelleher, 32, was arrested by police after allegedly being involved in a street brawl following a car accident in the early hours of Friday morning.

The Toulouse player suffered minor injuries to his shoulder and eye in the incident but is hopeful of making a return to the Toulouse side for the visit of Stade Francais on September 26.

“I made a mistake, an error,” said Kelleher, in an interview with La Depeche du Midi.

“My career, my personality and my stature as a player are things that have since been talked about a lot.

“When we make a mistake, we must have the courage to face up to it and apologise.”

He added: “Our cars collided. It should never have escalated like it did. I got stupidly angry, especially because of alcohol and that I let myself get carried away by false friends.”

Kelleher will now appear in court on October 28. Toulouse deputy prosecutor Richard Bometon revealed that the player had admitted the charges brought against him. “He will plead guilty. The maximum penalty is a suspended jail sentence, but this case is not a very serious one,” he said.

The driver of the other car, Brice Rostaing, appeared alongside Kelleher at the press conference and confirmed that he was withdrawing his statement of complaint.

He said Kelleher had paid for the incident “in a sporting context as his injuries have prevented him from playing. I think that’s enough It was a traffic incident that ultimately spiralled out of control,” said Rostaing. “Now things have calmed down, it was necessary to bring this story back down to earth; a stupid clash with ridiculous consequences.”

Toulouse later released a statement on their website expressing their support for the player. It said the club maintained “our trust and high regard for Byron Kelleher, who has always demonstrated himself as responsible and generous, with an irreproachable attitude.”

The former All Black has become a cult player for Toulouse since moving to the southern French city after the World Cup in 2007. He won the Top 14 player of the year award in 2008, after inspiring his side to the French Championship title that year.

Kelleher hopes to be fit enough to start training again next week. “If the doctors give me the green light I hope to be back playing quickly.”