Kiwis star vows to put drunken shame behind him

Tame Tupou has vowed to put his drunken shame behind him and play his way back into Kiwis contention.

Last week it emerged that the Kiwis winger had been sent home from last year's European tour in the build-up to the one-off test against France.

Tupou angered hotel staff as he and some teammates returned from a night out in Paris, and the following day the 25-year-old, who was already doubtful with a knee injury, was banished from the Kiwis squad.

Tupou accepts he had to leave camp early and says he regrets the incident, although the Bradford Bulls player believes he was not solely to blame.

"The first night in France we were warned we were going to get kicked out of the hotel because they didn't appreciate us laughing and passing a ball around in the lobby," he told NZPA.

"We then had a day off and me and some of the other boys went out drinking. When we came back the night watchman told us to `shut up' so I told him to `be quiet'.

"We got a warning the night before and my knee was 50-50 anyway, so they (tour management) said I might as well go home.

"But the staff were like that with all the boys from the moment we got in there, I guess that's what French people are like," Tupou added.

"It would have been a different story if I wasn't drunk. I'm not much of a drinker and I hadn't drunk for two months.

"It was getting really stressful with all the travelling we'd done, we'd been smashed by Great Britain and it wasn't a good feeling leaving Britain knowing we hadn't achieved anything.

"Then we had the hotel staff acting like that so when I'd had a drink I just told him to `shut up'.

"I got pin-pointed and I'm not saying it wasn't my fault - I take full responsibility for my actions - although I don't think it was solely my fault."

Tupou's actions disappointed tour officials and appeared to put his Kiwis future in doubt.

But with Gary Kemble having now resigned as Kiwis coach, Tupou hopes to show his successor he is worthy of a World Cup recall by impressing in his first full season with Bradford.

"I've learned from that mistake and tried to move on.

"I've got something else to worry about now - and that's getting myself fit and available for Bradford," he said.

"All I'm worried about is playing well for Bradford then it speaks for itself. That's the only way I can get my foot in the (Kiwis) door.

"If I'm playing better than any other winger who qualifies for the Kiwis and I don't get picked because of that (the Paris incident), maybe then I'll stand up and say something."

-NZPA