Rugby star cleared in rape probe
Ireland and Ulster rugby player Isaac Boss has been cleared of rape allegations, it was revealed today.
Boss, 28, was detained by police on the training pitch in Belfast last April after a woman in the city lodged a complaint.
He said today: “I have been confident from the outset that these malicious and unfounded allegations against me would be dismissed.
“I have strenuously defended my good name, but it has been a nightmare worrying that the truth would not come out.”
New Zealand-born Boss, whose grandmother came from Glenarm, Co Antrim, made his debut as Ulster’s scrum-half in 2005, the same year he was first capped for the Irish international team.
He added: “While the decision not to bring charges vindicates my reputation, it has been a very distressing situation for me and my family.
“I am grateful for the support of my family, friends and colleagues from rugby and across the sports community throughout this ordeal.”
It is understood the woman who made the allegations had been known to him for some time, but friends said today the last six months had been hell for him and his family back in New Zealand where he played for the country’s under-19s. He was educated at Forest View High and Waikato University.
Boss was detained by police on the Ulster training grounds at Newforge, south Belfast.
A friend said: “It has been a truly awful time, a terrible ordeal, especially for his mother, who was at her wits end when this allegation was first made.”
