A female rugby fan was gang-raped by three men after she watched a World Cup match in France, according to police.
The woman, 37, was supporting Ireland as they played against Romania in Bordeaux.
Police said she was taken to Bordeaux University Hospital and officers are still trying to hunt down her attackers.
The rape is thought to have happened around midnight on Rue de la Rousselle in central Bordeaux, not far from the woman’s accommodation, police said.
Residents raised the alarm after she said she was dragged into an alleyway and then attacked.
The three attackers fled from the scene, leaving the woman lying on the ground.
Irish officers – who were already in the city – were called to assist.
According to French daily Le Parisien, the men drove her in a car, but they didn’t leave the area.
The woman is said to have sought refuge in her apartment after the attack and was initially unable to recount her traumatic experience.
Irish officers were asked to escort her to Bordeaux hospital and collect her statement.
The attackers have been described as Caucasian. One is said to be ‘very athletic’. An investigation into the alleged rape has been opened.
Police told Le Parisien in a statement: ‘The investigations are underway and in particular the genetic examinations on the victim and the clothing, the collection of testimonies and the study of the video protection of the neighborhood.’
