Brawling rugby team face ban from final

The principals of Auckland Grammar and Kelston Boys High have given different accounts of who struck the first blow. Photo / Murray Job, Sky Sport

Auckland Grammar's 1st XV rugby side will head into a judicial hearing tonight knowing a worst-case scenario could see the team banned from the secondary school's final at Eden Park on Saturday.

The team and Kelston Boys' High School's 1st XV players will convene tonight, with their management, advocates and possibly even lawyers following the brawl at the end of their semifinal match last Saturday.

Auckland Rugby Football Union chairman Ken Baguley last night said there were a "range of sanctions" available to the judiciary following the fracas which has attracted national and international media attention.

Mr Baguley said he could not comment specifically on the brawl but he said a hearing could see individual players - and entire teams - suspended from playing.

"[Auckland Grammar] being taken out of the final is a possibility - if the judicial committee decided that that was the appropriate action," he said.

"It's unfortunate and it's unforgivable really that they [both teams] let their emotions get carried away to this extent - they obviously completely and utterly lost control. It's a terrible situation."

Mr Baguley said schools and players could appeal against any decisions - a process that could take up to two weeks, during which time a player would be stood down.

Mr Baguley remained confident the matter would be dealt with fairly.

"There's a process that's now in place and we'll follow that process."

Footage of the fight shows Auckland Grammar scoring a try, winning the game 20-9.

The Kelston No 23 dives over the players lying on the ground towards the ball, just after Auckland Grammar's No 2 has scored the final try.

The Grammar player reaches out and hits the Kelston player's back and pulls at his shirt to pull him off.

The Kelston player jumps up and punches the Grammar player and a fight breaks out.

Other players get involved and the scuffle moves over the dead ball line before the footage cuts to show an Auckland Grammar student hitting a Kelston player from behind, knocking him to the ground as another dispute breaks out.

The group of players, by now including spectators and reserves, watch this action and run over, dragging the brawl over the sideline.

Players hit out towards the ropes that are supposed to separate spectators from the action. Adults, including a woman believed to be the mother of an Auckland Grammar player, can be seen trying to pull players from the messy scene.

The brawl was one of two violent incidents during the secondary school's competition on Saturday.

Papakura teenager Sean Fletcher, 19, was hit in the face with a rock while watching the Mt Albert Grammar and St Peter's College semifinal, almost at the same time as the brawl.

Mt Albert and Auckland Grammar will play each other in the final at Eden Park this weekend.

Prime Minister John Key said yesterday there was no place for violence in sport, at professional or school level.

"I think it brings the game into disrepute, it discourages people from being active in sport and it's the wrong message to youngsters," he said.

Auckland City police district spokeswoman Noreen Hegarty said no complaints about the game had been received by police yesterday.