Rugby brawl ensues after kick to head

We were very much the innocent party," Mr Thurston said. "But that's all I'm prepared to say.A kick to the head of a John Paul College 1st XV player was the catalyst for an on-field brawl during the school's encounter against Mount Maunganui College in Tauranga.
The referee of the weekend match says both teams were at fault but it is understood a brawl involving players on the field, reserves and coaches, started when a Mount player kicked a player from the Rotorua school team in the head. The Bay of Plenty Rugby Union has confirmed the fracas was instigated by a Mount player.
John Paul College was not commenting yesterday but the school's board of trustees' deputy chairman, Lyall Thurston, said his school was not to blame for last Saturday's incident.
"We were very much the innocent party," Mr Thurston said. "But that's all I'm prepared to say."
The dust-up saw coaches and reserves from the sideline spill on to the pitch after the alleged head kick four minutes from full-time, leaving referee Leigh Sefton with little option but to call off the game.
According to the referee's report, Mr Sefton was following the play when tempers flared, resulting in about six people joining players in the melee on the Mount Maunganui College field.
Bay of Plenty Rugby Union rugby development officer Andrew Spraggon said the Mount Maunganui player whose actions instigated the fight had been reprimanded by his school. He was also stood down for the 1st XV's match on Wednesday.
"The [coaches] have spoken to the team, as far as their actions go."
No formal citing complaint had come from John Paul College and it was up to the school to pursue the matter further, he said.
Mr Sefton said both schools were "as guilty as each other" but no players had been reported to the union because the referee was unable to confirm who or what sparked the fracas.
"We are concerned when any game is called off," said the union's operations manager, Mike Rogers. "We have been in consultation with both schools, which is part of the disciplinary process."
John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh told The Daily Post through his personal assistant Liz Locke the school did not want to comment. "It's an internal matter that has been dealt with between the two schools involved, so he doesn't wish to comment."
Mount Maunganui College principal Terry Collett was not at the game but was aware of the incident.
 "If I find that our boys have acted in a way that's unacceptable, I'll be taking action," he said.
Saturday's on-field brawl during a school sporting match was not the first of its kind.
In September 2008, controversial former All Whites soccer coach Kevin Fallon was accused of manhandling an Auckland Grammar player during an encounter against his Mount Albert Grammar School 1st XI.
A first XV rugby match between two Auckland schools - Sacred Heart College and Papatoetoe High School - was called off after a spectator allegedly ran on to the field and punched a player, causing a brawl in May 2007.
additional reporting APN News & Media