Four arrested in disorder involving rugby league fans

Police are calling on rugby league fans to be responsible following reports of disorder and people acting dangerously.

There has been a huge presence, particularly in the South Auckland suburb of Otahuhu, over the last few days, where droves of Tongan fans have been celebrating their national team taking part in the Rugby League World Cup.

Although the celebrations - which have seen vehicles decked out in red and white flags lining the streets - have been mostly without incident, police confirmed they had been called out to some disturbances.

Four people were arrested about 11pm after what police called a "disorder incident'' involving Tongan supporters in Otahuhu.

Counties Manukau West area commander Inspector Naila Hassan said: "Overall, supporters have been well behaved. However, the actions of a small number of people have been disappointing.

"We want everyone to enjoy the tournament and have fun, but please remember to behave responsibly and show respect for others.''

Hassan said the main concern for authorities was people acting recklessly when travelling in vehicles.

Former Warriors star and Tongan wing Manu Vatuvei took to social media today to ask fans to keep their cool amid all of the excitement surrounding the tournament.

View this post on Instagram

I know there is a lot of celebrations and excitement for the game coming up with tonga v samoa but it's ruined by people taking it too far... yes be proud but as islanders we always been taught to respect others and be humble... #TokoUso #United🇹🇴🇼🇸 #OUA

A post shared by Manu Vatuvei 🦁 (@manuvatuvei) on Oct 31, 2017 at 6:13pm PDT

In some cases, people have been seen standing on top of their cars, riding on bonnets while waving flags or leaning out of moving cars.

"We've had reports of people leaning out of cars or sitting on car bonnets. This risky behaviour is not only illegal but very dangerous,'' she said.

"We want everyone to have fun and enjoy themselves, but most importantly we want everyone to be safe.

"We urge supporters to be respectful of the community, local businesses and residents at all times when out in public.''

The safety message from police comes after footage appeared on social media of a street brawl in Otahuhu involving groups of Tongan and Samoan supporters.

It is understood the fight happened yesterday on Great South Rd.

That followed an incident in which a photo of a young man burning the Samoan flag was uploaded and widely circulated on social media.

As a result, members of the Pacific community in New Zealand, including former heavyweight boxer David Tua, have called for calm among the two cultural groups.