Rugby Jersey, Not Gang Gear | Wellington News

A rugby jersey with “Lower North Bulldogs” sparked a bizarre police crackdown—charging Syd Te Rata for wearing gang insignia, despite zero evidence. The jersey, found days later in a washing basket and never seized at the scene, was allegedly tied to the Mongrel Mob via a tournament and “Bulldog” branding. But a rugby historian proved team names are common, and the defense slammed the prosecution as bullying. Police dropped charges after court exposed the flimsy case—and this comes amid a High Court ruling that gang patch bans may violate free speech. Te Rata’s lawyer called it a win for common sense. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/b5c10c2372ae8d23