Japan
All Blacks hero Jerry Collins arrested
March 18, 2013
Former All Black flanker Jerry Collins speaks to the media in Sydney, July 2, 2009
Jerry Collins is reported to have said he carried the knife for self-defence © Getty Images
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Teams: New Zealand

Former All Blacks forward Jerry Collins has been arrested in Japan and charged with carrying an illegal knife in a department store, police said on Sunday.

Collins, 32, who played for New Zealand in 48 international games from 2001 to 2008, including at the 2003 and 2007 IRB Rugby World Cup tournaments, was arrested on Saturday in the central industrial city of Hamamatsu.

According to press reports, Collins caught a security guard's attention when he went behind a sales counter at the store. When approached, the New Zealander pulled out the 17-centimetre knife from his pocket and placed it on the counter. It is illegal in Japan to have a weapon with a blade longer than 15cm without police permission.

Collins, who captained the All Blacks in a Test against Argentina in 2006, told police that he "kept the kitchen knife for self-defence", Japanese media reported.

Collins played for Yamaha Jubilo in Japan's Top League from 2011, but he left the team when his two-year contract expired in February.

© AAP

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