‘Not a nice thing': Ian Foster’s daughter opens up on attempted mugging in Paris

For the first time since returning to New Zealand, the daughter of former All Blacks coach Ian Foster has opened up about her gut-wrenching encounter with a knife-wielding man in Paris.

New Zealand’s 1News revealed last week that Foster’s daughter Michaela and wife Leigh had been involved in a terrifying incident near the All Blacks’ team hotel on the outskirts of Paris.

Coach Foster later confirmed the news in a statement.

“Leigh and Michaela were walking to our team hotel from a nearby train station in the early evening when they were confronted by a young man with a knife. The man appeared to be under the influence of something," he said.

The incident occurred in the lead-up to the All Blacks’ Rugby World Cup opener against France, but coach Foster didn’t say anything to the media about the horrifying moment during the tournament.

While Foster later released a statement, both Michaela and Leigh have stayed quiet about the matter – until now. In a recent interview on New Zealand radio, Football Ferns left back Michaela Foster spoke about the difficult situation – saying it was “not a nice thing to go through.”

“Obviously it’s not the nicest situation to be in – we had just finished a really awesome day in Paris, (it was) one of our first days actually there,” Foster said on SENZ’s The Run Home.

“We were ok, honestly, and the situation didn’t escalate to anything more – we were able to play it out safely and able to get home without being robbed or touched.

“It’s not a nice thing to go through for anyone, but me and my Mum handled it quite well and (we’re) happy to come away from it unscathed.”

Under the guidance of coach Ian Foster, the All Blacks defied the odds and expectations to book their place in last month’s Rugby World Cup final at Stade de France.

But the All Blacks were dealt a damaging blow during the first term as captain Sam Cane became the first man to be sent off in a decider of the sport’s showpiece event.

The All Blacks showed plenty of ticker and heart, but rivals the Springboks held on for a record fourth World Cup crown.

It wasn’t the fairytale finish that Foster deserved, but the All Blacks can still hold their heads up high after an inspiring run to the final.

“It’s quite cool to finally have him home and (I’m) extremely proud of what he’s accomplished – not only the tournament, but the last four years, it was an amazing finish,” Michaela Foster added.