Lifetime bans have been called for after a violent brawl erupted at an under-17s clash between Port Macquarie and Wollongong at the NSW OzTag State Championships in Coffs Harbour on Saturday.
What began as post-match handshakes quickly spiralled out of control when insults were exchanged and players aged 15 and 16 started fighting.
The situation escalated further as several parents stormed the field and became involved physically.
Footage of the incident showed players and adults trading blows, with one player striking the opposing coach before another man joined the fray and was knocked to the ground.
The incident overshadowed the three-day tournament at C.ex Coffs International Stadium on the NSW north coast, which featured a record 343 teams competing for state titles.
It is understood it was the second time the two teams had been named to play each other on the same day due to a quirk of the draw.
Players at the NSW OzTag State Championships got into an all-in brawl after punches were thrown at a coach on Saturday
Parents also got involved in the fight between Wollongong and Port Macquarie
Wollongong won both matches comprehensively, which led to frustrations boiling over from their opposition.
Neither team was sanctioned in the immediate aftermath, with Wollongong going on to play the quarter finals the following day.
A Wollongong OzTag spokesman said the matter was being investigated by OzTag Australia.
A Port Macquarie spokeswoman told the Daily Mail the organisation would accept any sanctions handed out in relation to the incident and added any form of racial vilification found in the investigation should not be tolerated.
‘A strict no abuse, no excuse policy is consistently enforced across all levels of participation. This policy applies equally to players, coaches, association staff, and spectators,’ the spokeswoman said.
‘In addition, there is an absolute zero-tolerance stance on any form of violence.
‘The matter remains under investigation by NSW OzTag, and it would be inappropriate to make any further comment while this process is ongoing. We will await the outcome of the investigation before any sanctions or player bans are determined.
‘Port Macquarie Junior OzTag is proudly represented across multiple divisions by participants from a diverse range of cultures and nationalities.
Former NRL and international referee Bill Harrigan was the tournament director and will investigate the matter
‘Our association maintains a firm zero-tolerance policy toward racial slurs or any form of vilification. Such behaviour is unacceptable and will not be condoned.
‘Our players represent the association with pride in both their jersey and their heritage.
‘At the same time, any individual found to be at fault in this incident understands that they will be held accountable and accept the consequences of their actions.’
Former NRL and international rugby league referee Bill Harrigan was the tournament director in Coffs Harbour and confirmed life bans were on the way.
‘It’s up to us now to go through all this video and identify who was involved because a lot of them took their shirts off,’ he told 2GB on Monday.
‘We will work with Port Macquarie over identifying these people, and then we’ll start taking some further action.
‘But I can tell you there is a father and a son there that we’ve identified already. They haven’t been officially told yet, but they will be getting life bans from the sport.
‘One of them is the one in the black shirt that throws the slap at the coach from Wollongong, and then they actually did something else later on after that.
‘So both of those folks will be gone and we don’t want them in sport and then when you start sifting through and we find out who the other people are, then we’ll start putting out some very harsh penalties and that can start from life bans to years out of the sport, but we won’t cop it.
‘And again, 99 per cent of both days were terrific, not a problem, and then right at the end we had that.
‘We’ve done a lot of work over the last few years to tidy it all up. It’s going really well, but little things like this just happen occasionally you just can’t stop it, but we will react strongly.’
The footage attracted hundreds of comments on social media, with one parent saying he no longer considered OzTag tournaments to be a safe place for his family.
‘I would really like to take my young family to an OzTag game but how can I when people get attacked?’ the parent asked.
‘It’s just not safe for someone to go to an OzTag game these days. I’d rather go to an A-League game where the environment is far more welcoming, inclusive & safe for my family.’
Others called for massive bans to be handed out to the players, parents and staff who threw coward punches from behind.
‘The hero who took his shirt off and hit the guy from behind and his old man who hit the bloke when he wasn’t looking should be banned for life,’ one posted.
Another added: ‘Considering accidentally brushing against a ref ya get a 20 year ban. So for this lot a lifetime ban will probably be sufficient.’
It comes after a wild brawl broke out at Parry Park in Lakemba last September during suburban OzTag matches, prompting urgent police attendance.
Hundreds had gathered for the games when multiple fights erupted across the field, with fears children were caught up in the chaos.
Video showed punches thrown near the football pitch and cricket nets as onlookers screamed and tried to break up the melee.
