Allegations that a post-match event for defeated Super Rugby team the Chiefs ended with alleged nudity, vomiting and a trail of noisy carnage in a Christchurch hotel have been strongly denied.
Just hours after the Crusaders took their fifth consecutive tournament title the losing team gathered for a function at the Novotel hotel in Cathedral Square.
Players, staff and families attended.
Guests later alleged they were kept awake much of the night as attendees misbehaved.
They were reportedly seen naked and intoxicated in the hotel's corridors.
Stuff have reported there was a trail of broken bottles and vomit left behind by the "absolutely wasted" partygoers.
Guests complained about drunk people banging on the walls all night.
Chiefs management told Stuff they were "confident our people were not involved".
However, they were said to be taking the allegations "extremely seriously" and were looking into what happened at the hotel.
One guest who complained said the behaviour was "a bit pathetic really".
She told Stuff she complained to hotel staff twice after "players and supporters" returned to the hotel at 2.30am "very drunk".
The woman claimed some people involved were so drunk they were "not able to stand up, and were sitting on the floor leaning against doorways".
She said hotel staff said extra people had been called in to work to help handle the situation.
A Novotel staffer confirmed to Stuff that there had been at least four complaints from guests.
The staffer said the people at the centre of the mayhem were "all over the floor" of corridors.
Hotel managers had to contact the team's management to control the group - some who were completely naked.
The staffer told Stuff some of the group were vaping inside the hotel.
Staff had to clean up vomit and broken bottles inside and outside the building.
A statement was released by the Chiefs at midday about the situation.
They confirmed a private function was held on the hotel's second floor.
"The function was attended by coaches, players, board, staff and family members. The function was held without incident and was enjoyed by all the Chiefs whānau."
The franchise acknowledged a formal complaint by a hotel guest staying on teh 12th floor.
"No players or persons directly associated with the team were staying on the 12th floor," said Chiefs Rugby Club CEO Michael Collins.
"We have thoroughly worked through the guest's complaint and, in particular, the descriptions of the people involved.," he said.
"While we will continue to investigate with our players and staff, we are confident that based on our inquiries to date none of our people were on the 12th floor or were involved in unruly behaviour that upset other hotel guests."
Collins said he was "extremely sympathetic" to the guests who had their sleep disturbed.
"If the team were responsible, we would take immediate and swift action.," he said.
"At this point in time all the facts gathered suggest that we are not responsible."
He said there would be no futher comment.
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