All Blacks intentionally postponed the news on listening device to matchday

New Zealand have intentionally delayed the involvement of police by five days after they claimed to have found a listening device in the team meeting room in Sydney last year ahead of the Rugby Championship 2016 opener against Australia according to a court hearing on Tuesday.

It was only on the morning of their game with Wallabies, the team manager Darren Shand showed urgency of involving police and passed the news on to the press claims the former general manager of InterContinental hotel at Double Bay, Paul Walters.

The security consultant of New Zealand team Adrian Gard found the device on a chair placed in the room and invited Walters to share the evidence.

Recalling the conversation with Shand, Walters said: "They told me that had found a listening device and showed me said device.

"I said, 'Would you like me to contact police?'. Mr Shand requested I do not contact police."

Walters also revealed that despite asking about the involvement of police on three other occasions, the New Zealand team management remained adamant. He said the stance, though, changed on the morning of the match.

"I woke to a missed call from Mr Shand," Walters said.

"I called him back ... Mr Shand advised the news of the bugging would hit the press in 15 minutes and they were happy to get the police involved."

The hearing will resume on 16th August to record Gard's statement.