Lomu sees Rio Ferdinand naked

LONDON - What happens when one of the globe's top rugby stars meets one of its top soccer stars? In the case of Jonah Lomu and Rio Ferdinand, it's all eyes averted...

Lomu, in the UK last week for his return match to competitive rugby, was strolling through one of the bars in the $1500-a-night London hotel, The Grove, when he was exposed to more than he bargained for - England and Manchester United soccer defender Ferdinand in the buff.

"He was completely naked. I didn't know what to think," Lomu said. "Rio and his buddies were drinking and playing strip-jack naked. It was some sight."

Lomu said Ferdinand was too caught up drinking champagne, beer, wine "and having a good time" to notice him so he just kept walking.

"I tried to keep my head down, but you couldn't miss them. Rio was starkers. He had absolutely nothing on."

Ferdinand, who just two days earlier had been headbutted in a Stockholm nightclub after refusing to sign an autograph for a fan, had been at Lomu's hotel for a stag night with football friends Jody Morris and Michael Duberry.

After stripping off in the lobby bar, Rio - who earns more than $100,000 a week for Manchester United - decided more high jinks were in order. They ran through the hotel banging on hotel doors around 2.30am, dousing occupants with foam from a fire extinguisher when they answered.

Several former All Blacks, including Carlos Spencer and Troy Flavell, were in the hotel and were woken by the shenanigans.

Police confirmed that the three footballers had been spoken to, but no one had been arrested.

Lomu said it was always "interesting to see how other sports stars behave in public".

That's why he tended to avoid bars, he said. "I always just keep my head down and try and walk through unnoticed."

- Herald on Sunday