[Source: 1News]

Ian Foster has spoken for the first time about how his wife Leigh and daughter Michaela were confronted by a man with a knife in Paris during the World Cup.

As revealed by 1News yesterday, the pair were accosted near the All Blacks’ hotel before the first game of the World Cup against France in early September.

“In regards to recent reports, I can confirm there was an incident involving my wife and one of my daughters in Paris during the opening week of the Rugby World Cup,” former All Blacks coach Foster said in a statement this afternoon.

“Leigh and Michaela were walking to our team hotel from a nearby train station in the early evening when they were confronted by a young man with a knife. The man appeared to be under the influence of something.

“My family were able to defuse the situation calmly but firmly and the man left. Team security, which included local authorities, were made aware of this when Leigh and Michaela returned.

“As a family we would like to reiterate that this did not in any way take away from our time in France which was positive overall.”

Foster, who has now been replaced as All Blacks coach by Scott Robertson, did not mention the incident during the tournament won by South Africa by the barest of margins in the final against the All Blacks last weekend.

Leigh and Michaela, a Football Ferns defender who represented New Zealand at a World Cup herself this year, were travelling in support of Foster, a man unwanted by New Zealand Rugby and who took the All Blacks to the brink of glory in France.

In spite of the odds, the All Blacks beat Ireland in a gripping quarter-final before demolishing Argentina in their semifinal.