Rugby brawl leas to ban

Northland rugby bosses have blacklisted the Whangaruru senior rugby team for two years after details about an all-in brawl, including spectators, at a game at Oakura on Saturday emerged at a disciplinary hearing yesterday.
In what could be an unprecedented move, the Whangaruru senior side has been banned from all club rugby for the rest of this season - and the 2008 season.
The brawl, allegedly sparked when a Whangaruru player who had been sent off punched an opponent, forced the referee to call the game off. The opposing Whangarei Old Boys side and supporters were said to have retreated to their bus and left hurriedly.
Police are investigating the melee. Senior Constable Gavin Benney of Hikurangi said he had spoken to people from both teams involved in the skirmish and possible charges were pending.
Meanwhile, the ban may prompt Whangaruru to withdraw from the sport, a club representative saying it could abandon rugby and switch to rugby league.
But Northland Rugby Union officials said the ban would stay no matter what Whangaruru decided, as disciplinary issues within the team appeared to be ongoing.
Once details of the brawl - including a damning referee's report - were heard by a Whangarei district rugby sub-committee, it was clear Whangaruru was in trouble. Sub-committee chairman Murray Dunn said he was appalled when he read the details.
The whole saga was a black mark against the Whangaruru club.
"As a result of that fiasco at Oakura we really had very little option. Whangaruru can only return on the proviso they can manage themselves as a club. It was terrible reading the referee's report which basically confirmed everything that has been reported about the incident. This was particularly nasty," he said.
"This is the toughest punishment I can recall ever being handed down to any club since I've been in rugby, but we had to send a message to all clubs that this kind of behaviour will not be tolerated."
After hearing of the ban, Whangaruru club spokesman Carmen Hetaraka said the side could abandon rugby "for a fresh start" in rugby league.
The club felt the team was unfairly tarnished.
"If you look at the history of judiciary stuff it doesn't look good, and we can't hide from that history. But in this instance they sent a boy to do a man's job as referee, which was part of the reason this all went down they way it did.
"We had a guy that had been sent off run back on the field and get into a fight - that is unacceptable and we acknowledge that. But by the time that happened we had two players sent off, including our captain, then a yellow card as well. So we had 12 players on the field and the team was thinking ... well, stuff this."
NRU chief executive Rob Malone said he supported the Whangarei sub-committee's decision, but he also said the union would help the club back into the fold.
"The ban relates to the senior side only, and the NRU will still be active in assisting the Whangaruru club in offering a pathway for their junior players," he said.