NZRFU’s Campaign to stop spectator abuse gets off to a great start

Three South Canterbury rugby players and a spectator have been sanctioned after an on-field scuffle turned into an "all-in brawl" involving more than 20 people on Saturday (8^th June) 

South Canterbury Rugby Union chairman Brent Isbister said it was a tight senior grade game between Geraldine and Temuka in which tensions boiled over. 

"At the very end of the game a scuffle started and that erupted into an all-in brawl. The brawl went over the sideline in amongst the spectators and I guess a couple of them just couldn't help themselves," Mr Isbister said today. 

About 20 of the 30 players on the field had been involved, as well as several spectators, one of whom was a Temuka player who was not taking part in that game. 

When asked to comment Steve Spew (PeO of N.Z Rugby) quickly quashed suggestions the South Canterbury incident was anything to do with the sport he heads.

 

“This is a media beat-up. None of this has anything to do with the game, simply an indictment on society”

“Those grounds were also used for cricket in summer” Spew went on to state.

“One of the players uncles involved with the brawl had a recent death in the family and was under intense personal pressure”   

“These are young men letting off steam who happened by chance to meet at the same ground one Saturday”  

“Our investigations show two players and one spectator were involved with soccer at a junior level”

 Spew went on to suggest “The links to rugby in this case were very tenuous”.