Witnesses back up Collins
July 11, 2001

Two Wellington women who saw an altercation between All Black Jerry Collins and sports fan Sonny Shaw claim Shaw was shoved, not punched.

Shaw, a 51-year-old Auckland accountant, has claimed Collins punched him in the throat during an incident outside Wellington's Sports Cafe on July 1, the night of the All Blacks' 37-12 victory over France.

But Tahuaka Fahey said she and her friend Tracy Naylor had been talking with Shaw when they saw Collins across the road talking to bouncers from the Sports Cafe.

When Collins crossed the road, Shaw tried telling him that he should think of his career but Collins shoved him out the way, Fahey said.

"He shoved him on the neck. It was an open-hand push," she said. "He (Shaw) fell to the ground, he canned out something chronic."

Fahey, who knew Shaw from various sporting events, said she feared Shaw would go to the media about the incident, so urged Collins to apologise, which he did.

Shaw was a friend of Sunday News sports editor Neil Reid, who was first to publish Shaw's story, Fahey said.

Shaw said Tuesday night all he wanted was for the New Zealand Rugby Football Union to admit it was a punch and not a shove, and felt it unfair he had not been invited to give his version of events during an investigation this week in which Collins was cleared.

Police said they would investigate if Shaw made a complaint. - Sapa-NZPA

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