Wairoa rugby game gang brawl: Investigation under way after multiple people injured; mayor ‘disgusted’

Wairoa’s mayor says he is “absolutely disgusted” after a local rugby match was followed by a violent gang-related altercation involving weapons on Saturday.

A number of people were injured in the Hawke’s Bay melee, which reportedly took place in front of several young children and babies.

Wairoa Mayor Craig Little said the match between Tapuae Sports Club and YMP at War Memorial Park had finished before an altercation broke out involving a number of gang members.

“I’m just absolutely disgusted, to be quite honest, that people think they can carry on with this behaviour when we’ve got people really hurting in flood-hit houses and people from outside Wairoa giving us money to help us.

“These clowns think they can do this and it just takes all credibility away from Wairoa,” Little said.

Video of the altercation shared with the Herald shows a large group of people exchanging punches and kicks in the middle of Hunter-Brown St, next to the rugby field. Patched members of the Mongrel Mob are visible.

A few players from the match also appear to be involved, still wearing their playing strips.

The brawl was captured and shared on social media. Picture / Supplied

Numerous profanities, shouting, screaming babies and smashing glass can be heard before a person drives a car through the crowd, trapping a woman between another car.

Mongrel Mob members, some wielding weapons, rush to attack the driver while another person jumps on the hood of the car and begins stomping on the windscreen.

The altercation continues for about five minutes before police arrive.

A large number of people waded in. Picture / Supplied

Little said he’d heard Mongrel Mob and Black Power members were involved.

He added the town was on a high after Wairoa hosted a triple-header of Poverty Bay rugby finals two weeks earlier when local teams finished top of the table in their respective competitions.

“The rugby had nothing to do with it, the rugby was a really well-ran game, players were playing really well and it had finished ... After the game this happened and it just really sours the positivity of rugby games in Wairoa,” Little said on Saturday’s game.

Tapuae recently claimed the Poverty Bay premier rugby title against Gisborne YMP in Wairoa. Photo / Paul Rickard

“Everyone’s in disbelief that we’ve got people living in our community that are willing to do this and bring Wairoa down to this sort of level. I think the sooner they arrest them and put them away, the better, and I will be batting for that to happen.”

Little said the brawl “plays into the Government’s hand” of trying to clean up the gangs.

“They’re out of control when they go on like this.

“I’ll be talking to the police and urging the Government to go harder on gangs after this,” Little said.

A man was knocked to the ground during a violent melee after a rugby game in Wairoa at the weekend. Picture / Supplied

Hawke’s Bay Rugby Union (HBRU) CEO Jay Campbell confirmed to the Herald the altercation happened about 20 minutes after the match between Tapuae Sports Club and YMP.

“The game was without incident but we will be investigating it from a rugby point of view.”

Campbell referred all other questions to police.

Poverty Bay Rugby Union didn’t wish to comment when approached by the Herald.

Wairoa response manager Senior Sergeant Scott Leighton said police were called to reports of a gang-related disorder on Hunter-Brown St about 3pm on Saturday.

“A number of weapons were involved, not firearms, and a number of people received injuries in the disorder.”

Leighton said police were following positive lines of inquiry to identify who was involved and were continuing to piece together what happened.

“This was extremely disappointing, especially as just seven days earlier we were celebrating two local teams winning titles without incident,” he said.

Leighton urged anyone who witnessed the disorder or had any information on occurred to call police on 105 and quote file number 240727/7731.

Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

The altercation came a few months after a visiting rugby team’s van was hit with one or two shotgun rounds after they drove away from a Hawke’s Bay ground after their match was abandoned because of safety concerns.

A photo of the van, showing close to 50 holes from a pellet or pellets in its back window and denting around the top back left corner, was shared with Hawke’s Bay Today a day later.

Police said the April 6 shooting on Willowpark Rd in Hastings appeared to be gang-related. It followed an incident on the rugby field earlier.

A witness said the Division 3 game between Tamatea and YMP at Bill Mathewson Park was abandoned 15 minutes early by the referee because of safety concerns.

The witness, who didn’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.

Police made two arrests in relation to the incident.

Benjamin Plummer is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. He has worked for the Herald since 2022.