All Black pick irks victim's mother

Rene Ranger. Photo / Mark Mitchell

The mother of a young man allegedly assaulted in a pub carpark by new All Black "superman" Rene Ranger is stunned he has been picked to play in tonight's test against the Springboks.

Her 26-year-old son lost two front teeth, needed stitches to his forehead and injured his knee in an alleged assault in Mangawhai, north of Auckland, last August.

The man could not be reached yesterday, as he was working out of cellphone coverage.

But his mother expressed her disgust to the Weekend Herald at Ranger's selection despite the alleged attack.

"I just didn't think you would let somebody in that team after [what's happened], but obviously other people think otherwise," she said. "I was a little pissed off when I found out this morning."

The Rugby Union yesterday defended Ranger's selection.

"Anyone who is before the courts is presumed innocent until proven guilty and we as employers must leave the judicial process to run its course," said acting chief executive Neil Sorensen.

"That applies to rugby players just as it does to nearly every other employee."

Ranger, who impressed selectors with his Super 14 form, was the bolter for tonight's second test in Wellington, replacing veteran Joe Rokocoko.

He made his test debut off the bench against Wales in Hamilton last month.

This week, assistant coach Wayne Smith used the label "superman" to describe the 23-year-old's "exceptional" fitness test results.

However, come November, Ranger will face a different test - on trial in the Whangarei District Court charged with injuring with intent to injure in relation to the alleged assault.

Northland coach Bryce Woodward was adamant this week that Ranger's bad-boy image was a thing of the past.

He said the wing had come a long way and done a lot of growing up.

Detective Kevin Blackman, of the Warkworth CIB, said Ranger's trial could yet be pushed back to a later date. If that happened, it could well coincide with the Rugby World Cup in September and October.

Ranger is not the first rugby rep to come before the courts lately for bad behaviour.

Last month, a judge told former All Black Sione Lauaki to control his drinking after he admitted charges of assault and careless driving.