A photo of the damage to YMP Division three rugby team's bus.
Eight club rugby players and their coach were in a van that was peppered with shotgun pellets by gang members as they fled a Hastings rugby game cancelled due to intimidation on the field.
A photo of the van, showing close to 50 holes in its back window and denting around the top back left corner, was shared with Hawke’s Bay Today on Sunday morning.
A witness said the Division 3 game between Tamatea Arikinui and Young Māori Party (YMP) at Bill Mathewson Park was abandoned 15 minutes early by the referee due to safety concerns before the team was chased and shot at on a nearby road as they left.
Police say the Saturday afternoon shooting on Willowpark Rd in Hastings appears to be gang-related and followed an incident on the rugby field earlier.
Tamatea are Hastings-based and the YMP team are Raupunga-based and the round one clash was YMP’s first in the division for several years.
Tamatea Rugby & Sports Club chairman Stewart Whyte said none of those involved in the incident were Tamatea supporters.
YMP coach and club captain Guy Taylor was in the driver’s seat of the van with eight members of his team when they were shot at.
Taylor claimed members of the crowd were to blame for the aftermatch shooting and he had agreed with the referee’s decision to call off the game.
He said it was the worst incident his team had experienced and he claimed their van was rammed as well as shot, before he decided to turn the van around and meet the police back at Bill Mathewson Park.
”It goes with the territory, it’s not the first time this sort of thing has happened to us. We weren’t expecting it but it doesn’t surprise us that this happened.
”I don’t know if there is a solution for this sort of thing, this behaviour is becoming more and more common, and it is getting beyond the police to control it.”
Taylor said the game started with “normal banter between rugby players” before the crowd disturbed the match. He said his team had not retaliated in any way and he was proud of the way YMP had handled the situation.
”We had a beer with them [Tamatea Rugby Club] after the game, and a barbecue sausage.”
A witness, who said she doesn’t support either side but was there to watch as a neutral, said there was a visible Mongrel Mob presence among the crowd, but also numerous kids.
Despite Raupunga’s reputation as a Black Power town, the witness said the YMP side and supporters had no regalia, and she’d felt comfortable the game would proceed without incident.
She said it was played in good spirits until the 65th minute, when a Tamatea Arikinui player was floored by a big tackle.
“A lot of the young supporters of Tamatea then ran on to the field and pulled out weapons including knives.”
The witness said the Hawke’s Bay Rugby referee asked supporters to leave the field or he would end the game and when they didn’t, the game was abandoned.
The witness said the teams went back to their changing rooms and YMP and their supporters then left the park, but were followed by people who were hanging out of vehicles, brandishing weapons.
“They were then chased by numerous vehicles of Mongrel Mob members and associates trying to ram YMP off the road, and they shot multiple rounds at their team van.”
She said it wasn’t the first time Tamatea Arikinui supporters had acted in an aggressive or intimidatory way, but it was a significant escalation and shouldn’t be “swept under the carpet”.
Hawke’s Bay Rugby CEO Jay Campbell said he was aware of an incident that happened at the Tamatea and YMP match.
“These issues are now being dealt with by the NZ Police, and we will leave it to the police to try and understand the facts and work through exactly what happened.”
Inspector Lincoln Sycamore, Hawke’s Bay Area Commander, said an investigation had been launched after a van was shot while driving on Willowpark Rd on Saturday about 3.30pm.
“Those involved are believed to be gang-linked and the shots appear to have been targeted at an opposing gang.”
Prior to the incident, there was disorder at a Hawke’s Bay rugby field, Sycamore said.
“Police arrived and separated the parties, where the group was dispersed. No injuries were sustained in either incident.”
Sycamore said police had already spoken with a number of witnesses and one of those involved and there was no ongoing risk to the public
He said anyone who witnessed the incident or had any information that may assist police should contact 105 or online at https://www.police.govt.nz/use-105 using “Update report” and referencing file number 240407/9520.
Tamatea Rugby & Sports Club chairman Stewart Whyte said they refuted a witness’ claim those involved in storming the field or shooting the van were supporters of Tamatea.
“The incident which occurred yesterday after the match between Tamatea and YMP involved gang members who are not associated with Tamatea and are not members of our club,” Whyte said.
“Our committee thanks those present who acted quickly to ensure all whānau were safe until police arrived.”
Whyte said police were investigating the incident and Tamatea’s committee would allow that process to come to its conclusion.
“We would like to extend our aroha to YMP for the events that transpired yesterday.
“Tamatea’s stance has always been that we are here for rugby and to manaaki our manuhiri.”