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The chaotic scenes broke out early in the second half of the cup game
Shocking footage has emerged of a mass brawl which broke out during a school rugby match in South Africa, with a former Springbok calling for those involved to be hit with lifetime bans.
The chaotic scenes were caught on camera early in the second half of the Noordvaal Cup clash between the Menlopark and Dr. E.G. Jansen high schools in Pretoria, at which time the former held a commanding 36-5 lead.
According to South African outlet Caxton Network News, the incident was allegedly sparked by a remark made towards the Dr E.G. Jansen players by a Menlopark Old Boy.
Reports claim that he had told the players that they “must look at the scoreboard”, leading members of the Dr E.G. team to leap over barriers at the end of the pitch and engage in a brawl.
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The violent scenes appear to have involved parents as well as pupils, with footage of the incident showing punches being thrown and adults grappling with each other as others try to break it up.
The match was abandoned in the wake of the incident.
Clips of the brawl quickly circulated online, with former South Africa international Kobus Wiese among those to be appalled by what he had witnessed.
Taking to X, the former lock called for those involved to be banned from rugby for life.
“Both schools, should be forced to ban guilty parents, administrators and players for life, if evidence show they were involved or participated in this bizarre incident,” Wiese wrote. “This is part of the problem in schools, problem parents!”
Tinus Diedericks, committee chairperson for the Noordvaal Cup, has since confirmed that the incident is being investigated, with reports sought from both high schools.
“What has happened should not happen at rugby matches and there is no place for it,” he told local media, as he promised officials “will act” when they receive the necessary reports.
The chairperson of Menlopark’s governing body, Japie de Wet, has also confirmed that an internal investigation is under way as he condemned the incident.
“This type of conduct on and around sports fields is naturally something we totally condemn and do not condone in any way,” he told Caxton Network News.
His Dr E.G. Jansen equivalent, Riaan van Aswegen, told local media that “appropriate action” will be taken if necessary, with the school taking time to establish the facts around the “unacceptable” incident.
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