Australia's preparations for tomorrow’s First Test against Wales have been overshadowed by reports that Quade Cooper and Kurtley Beale were involved in a brawl outside a nightspot in the early hours of this morning.
The Australian Rugby Union confirmed they are looking into allegations that the backs clashed with security guards after being kicked out of the Victory Hotel in Brisbane.
Police were called to the scene and although no arrests were made, they are still investigating the scuffle.
The ARU said: “We’ve been made aware of an incident overnight and are still making our own enquiries. As a matter of process the issue will be referred to an ARU disciplinary review. We’ve nothing further to add.”
Staff and management contacted at the hotel declined to comment.
Neither Cooper nor Beale are in the matchday 22 for the clash against Wales in Brisbane as both are recovering from injuries.
Full-back Beale has had shoulder surgery and was staying with the team in Brisbane in the hope of recovering in time for the Second Test in Melbourne next week. Fly-half Cooper has just returned to action after knee reconstruction but is unlikely to play Tests until later in the year.
Both have previously been the subject of disciplinary probes.
Cooper was fined by the ARU and ordered to undergo counselling after being charged with burglary in 2009 over the theft of laptops from a house. Police later dropped the charges.
Beale, Cooper and James O’Connor were last year cleared by the ARU of any wrongdoing after a probe into reports they had fought among themselves in France on the Wallabies 2010 tour of Europe.
