Zara Phillips 'jets to Mike Tindall's side to quash mystery blonde rumours'
Just seven weeks into their marriage, most wives would be over the moon to be catching up with a husband they hadn't seen for days.
But we wouldn't have blamed Zara Phillips if she had tried to put off her reunion with England rugby captain Mike Tindall after footage emerged of his antics with a mystery blonde.
Yet again, though, the 30-year-old royal has shown she is made of sterner stuff than most.
She's on the way: BBC News Sports Correspondent Dan Roan broke the news on Twitter
Miss Phillips has arrived in New Zealand to meet Tindall.
BBC sports correspondent Dan Roan broke the news on Twitter yesterday afternoon.
He wrote: 'Dunedin Airport could be busier than normal on Friday. That's when Zara Philipps [sic] arrives tocatch up with MrTindall - & there's no VIP exit'.
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That tweet was closely followed by another: 'Hear Zara's already left - on her way to Australia -where she'll spend couple of days before arriving in Dunedin on Friday. Eng v Rom Sat'y'.
Zara has already gone so! me way t owards brushing away infidelity rumours by winning first prize in an International three day horse trial in Ireland over the weekend.
But the strain the news had put on her was clear to see in early stages of the three-day event.
Things are looking up: Zara Phillips is shown receiving her 1st after winning the three-day eventing at the International Horse Trials in Ballindenisk, Co Cork (right), after looking glum earlier in the weekend (left)
The horse trials began after news broke that her 32-year-old husband had been caught on film relaxing between games at the World Cup in New Zealand by kissing the pretty fan and cavorting with her at a bar in Queenstown a week ago.
In the film captured by numerous CCTV cameras and publicised by a bouncer at the Altitude bar the England captain can be seen hugging and manhandling the young woman as they down shots of vodka.
After she has pulled him down towards her chest and kissed the back of his head, he then drags her out through the exit, where they walk off out of shot, entwined in each others arms.
Suspicious behaviour: Tindall is shown being kissed on the head by the mystery blonde, who supposedly went to university with the rugby player ... even though he did not go to university
More antics: Tindall posing with another blonde, Janine Jeferis on a night out in Queenstown, New Zealand
Miss Phillips has so far declined to discuss the incident, but on Friday a sou! rce clos e to her attempted to play it down, saying the woman in the video was a friend of the couple and had been to their July wedding.
She is a friend of both Mike and Zara and has known Mike since university days, the source said.
She is an English girl living in Australia who was at their wedding. Zara is very relaxed about this, and the whole thing has been blown out of all proportion.
Yet the claim Tindall had known the girl since university days is a little odd given that he did not actually attend university.
Newlyweds: Mike Tindall and Zara Phillips tied the knot seven weeks ago
Althoughhe won a place at Durham to study psychology, he instead went straight from grammar school in Wakefield to become a professional rugby player, after being snapped up by the Bath squad.
Tindalls father Phil, 64, said his son had told him the girl was an old friend.
He said from the family home in Yorkshire: He says she was an old friend and thats that. He is ignoring it and concentrating on his rugby. We didnt speak about Zara at all. I dont think she is upset or has anything to be distressed about.
Day job: England captain Tindall is shown tackling an Argentina player at the World Cup, hours before he went out to 'relax'
Better together: Zara seemed unhappy to be separated from her new husband earlier this month
He added: Ive seen the pictures and must say I dont recognise the girl in the footage at all.
Tindalls defenders argue that as a lifetime rugby man, there was nothing unusual about his night out with team-mates in New Zealand.
It was a night out that invo! lved pos ing for photographs with attractive girls, and also with dwarfs who had been hired to entertain bar customers in a Midget Madness Weekend.
England team manager Martin Johnson has said the players were simply letting off steam, but it emerged yesterday that not all onlookers at the bar were impressed by Tindalls behaviour.
It was claimed on Sunday that as he manhandled the blonde outside the bar at 1.30am, an Australian male tourist who recognised the rugby player told him: Youre married. Pull your head in mate.
Good spirits: Tindall joking around with Jonny Wilkinson during a training session in Dunedin this morning
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