Thursday 24th January 2008
Tame Tupou has vowed to put his drunken shame behind him and play his way back into Kiwis contention.
Last week it emerged that the Kiwis winger had been sent home from last year's European tour in the build-up to the one-off test against France.
Tupou angered hotel staff as he and some teammates returned from a night out in Paris, and the following day the 25-year-old, who was already doubtful with a knee injury, was banished from the Kiwis squad.
Tupou accepts he had to leave camp early and says he regrets the incident, although the Bradford Bulls player believes he was not solely to blame.
"The first night in France we were warned we were going to get kicked out of the hotel because they didn't appreciate us laughing and passing a ball around in the lobby," he told NZPA.