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Wallaby arrested - Rugby Australia release statement

By Ian Cameron
Australia hooker Tolu Latu. Photo / Getty Images.

Rugby Australia have released a statement after The Sunday Telegraph in Australia are reported that Wallaby hooker Tolu Latu has been arrested for drink driving.

According to reports Latu was found slumped over the wheel of a vehicle not far from Rugby Australia headquarters in Sydney at approximately 4.30am on Thursday.

Rugby Australia have realeased the following statement on the matter:

"Rugby Australia and New South Wales Rugby Union have been made aware today by the Daily Telegraph of an incident involving Wallabies and Waratahs hooker Tolu Latu.

"Rugby Australia’s Integrity Unit is working with the New South Wales Rugby Union to ascertain all of the facts."

Latu was named on the bench for today's Waratahs match with the Reds.

In February Latu was hit with a six week ban for a dangerous play in his side’s tight 31-30 win over the Sunwolves in Tokyo.

The Wallabies hooker pleaded guilty for dangerous play in the 79th minute of that match, which left opposition loose forward Ed Quirk with an injured knee.

This latest debacle comes fresh off the back of the Israel Folau saga, which appears to be drawing to a close.

RA's statement on Latu comes just a day after Folau has had his four-year, $4 million contract with Rugby Australia terminated because of his controversial social media posts about gays and other so-called “sinners” he believes are destined for hell.

A three-person independent panel announced their verdict on Friday – 10 days after deciding Folau had committed a “high-level” breach of RA’s professional players’ code of conduct.

The Wallabies’ only three-times player of the year and Super Rugby’s all-time leading try-scorer has 72 hours to appeal and force the governing body into proceeding with a second code of conduct hearing.