Taranaki rugby player charged for alleged assault that hospitalised premier opponent

Open Justice multimedia journalist, Taranaki·NZ Herald·

26 Nov, 2024 01:05 AM2 mins to read

The alleged incident happened following a match at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth.

Police have charged a rugby player after he allegedly floored an opponent while the teams shook hands following a premier grade match in Taranaki.

A Coastal Rugby player was knocked to the ground and taken to hospital by ambulance after a Spotswood United player allegedly punched him. The alleged incident occurred after the final whistle of a game held at Yarrow Stadium in New Plymouth in June.

Today, police confirmed a man had been arrested in relation to the alleged assault and was facing a charge of intent to injure.

He is remanded on bail and will appear in New Plymouth District Court in January, a police spokesperson said.

RNZ previously reported the player had been banned from the field for nine weeks.

Mike Sandle, Taranaki Rugby Football Union’s chief executive at the time, told RNZ that a judicial panel with three members had imposed the ban.

He said the penalty was “towards the upper limit” of New Zealand Rugby (NZR) sanctions for striking a player.

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The player was sanctioned for misconduct under section 10 of NZR’s disciplinary rules which captures “conduct on or off the field during or in connection with a match including (without limitation) any tunnel, changing rooms and/or warm-up areas”.

Sandle believed the Coastal player who had been hit was within his rights to take the incident up with the police.

“The Coastal player was knocked to the ground, an ambulance was called and he was taken to Taranaki Base Hospital and examined, then later discharged,” he told RNZ.

“We are extremely disappointed that this incident has detracted from what was an entertaining game played in good spirits.”

No other players were involved, Sandle said.

Tara Shaskey joined NZME in 2022 as a news director and Open Justice reporter. She has been a reporter since 2014 and previously worked at Stuff covering crime and justice, arts and entertainment, and Māori issues.