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A former major in the South African police has backed up New Zealand claims that the All Black team was poisoned on the eve of the 1995 World Cup final.
Rory Steyn has no doubt that the sickness and vomiting which afflicted the New Zealand team on the eve of the final, in which they were beaten by hosts South Africa, had been deliberately planned.
"I only have the evidence of my eyes but there's no doubt in my mind that it was deliberate," Steyn said.
"It all happened on the Thursday before the final. There were beef burgers and chicken burgers on the menu but who fell ill and who didn't was so random that I believe it was in the water: in the tea and coffee."
Steyn was head of South Africa's VIP protection unit at the time and was in charge of team security at the World Cup. On Tuesday his book "One Step Behind Mandela" will be published in which he deals with events on the eve of the tournament.
"The local protection officer ate with the team and he came down with the same food poisoning," Steyn said.
"He was so ill that he couldn't even get to the bathroom before vomiting.
"I must say there was a high level of paranoia among the New Zealanders at the time.”
Steyn said he did not think the illness that afflicted the All Blacks had anything to do with the South African Rugby Football Union.
"The All Blacks were such overwhelming favourites, I thought it had something to do with betting," he said.
Last week Steyn gave evidence to the King Commission into match-fixing in South African cricket which he was also involved with through his VIP protection duties.
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