Shocking scenes erupted during a rugby match in Australia today as punches were thrown and spectators fell down rows of seats amid the chaos.
The incident happened at the famous Suncorp Stadium in Australia, just weeks after violence broke out among the crowd at the same venue when a spectator yelled out during a minute's silence.
The National Rugby League's eagerly awaited 'Magic Round', which featured Manly, Brisbane Broncos, Newcastle and Canterbury, was completely overshadowed by the awful fighting, with footage immediately being posted on social media. Fans can be heard gasping as a number of spectators become embroiled in the exchange of punches, while others are heard asking "where is the security?".
Reports say the incident was eventually broken up when police moved in. According to news.com.au, a Queensland police spokesperson said 'three people were evicted by police and handed penalty infringement notices".
Spectators were appalled, and some even suggested on Twitter that the fight lasted a lot longer than previously perceived.
"This video doesn’t do justice to how bad it was. The fight went for four times longer, involved a lot more guys and was pretty sickening to be honest. Amazed how long it took security and/or police to arrive," said one.
"I have family members who take their little kids to the footy. That won’t happen if this isn’t stamped out, and the game will suffer irreparably," said another.
Less than one month ago at the same stadium, a Broncos fan shouted during the minute's silence for ANZACs (fallen Australian and New Zealand soldiers), and was punched repeatedly by a Bulldogs supporter.
Speaking to the Courier Mail about the incident, NRL chief executive Andrew Abdo slammed Queensland rugby league fans and threatened to impose bans.
“There’s absolutely no place for violence at our games,” he said.
“Aside from the action the authorities may take, we will also ban any fan who engages in violence in the grandstands. It will not be tolerated.
“Magic Round is a celebration of our game, our fans and families. Almost 150,000 fans will attend this weekend and we will speak with the Stadium, who oversees security, to ensure the right measures are in place.”
