Police called in to Taupo rugby brawl

PHILLIPA YALDEN AND KIRSTY LAWRENCE
Last updated 12:01, June 8 2015

Police are investigating a brawl between rugby players after a match in Taupo at the weekend that ended with a player being thrown through a glass window.

Police were called to Owen Delany Park in Taupo following a game between Taupo Sports and Waitomo on Saturday afternoon.

Bay of Plenty police communications manager Kim Perks said two players from opposing sides got into a fight as they left the field.

"After the match, players were walking through the tunnel when two players got into an altercation. There was a fight and in the course of the altercation, a window was broken."

Perks said at least two people in the vicinity suffered lacerations due to the broken glass from the window and were taken to Taupo Hospital.

"It is early in our investigations - the enquiries are ongoing."

One bystander described the fight as "crazy stuff".

"I definitely gave up taking photos once the crazy stuff started on the field and what happened after the game was disappointing and scary at the same time," said a post on social media.

King Country rugby life member Dave McEwen said the fight broke out shortly after the game, won by Waitomo 22-13.

"It must have been a bit of a niggle in the game, but what actually happened in the corridor leading down to the changing rooms I'm not actually sure, but a few punches were thrown and one guy went through the glass panel."

A player from the Waitomo team was understood to have gone through the glass window.

A St John spokesperson said an ambulance attended the sports ground and treated and transported two people to Taupo Hospital.

One had moderate injuries and another had minor injuries from lacerations from the glass.

McEwen said the police were then called to deal with the altercation as an assault.

"If there had been a fight on the field, we would have dealt with it because it would have been judicial," he said.

King Country Rugby confirmed there had been an altercation in Taupo during a game involving a King Country team.

A spokesperson said the union was taking advice on the matter and a press release was expected to be issued this afternoon.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/6...po-rugby-brawl