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Samoan authorities have banned all inter-school sports competitions for the rest of the year, after school rivalry left a teenage girl severely burned.
Cabinet ministers announced the ban late last week, after 17-year-old Francella Tuala was severely burned on her upper body and face, when a petrol bomb struck her during an inter-school brawl involving students from Don Bosco and Avele College on the Friday before last.
Miss Tuala is in Middlemore Hospital in Auckland, and was last night in a stable condition in the hospital's National Burn Centre.
Chief executive for education, sports and culture Levaopolo Tupae Esera said: "There's always been school rivalry during the games, but it's become really extreme, especially with the use of petrol bombs.
"And because of the seriousness of it now, we needed to remedy the issue before it grew."
The ban came after Prime Minister Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi met high school principals to discuss inter-school rivalry and the ban on tournaments, including rugby, athletics and netball contests.
The ban has been criticised for punishing schools and students who were not involved in the brawl.
Mr Esera said: "It's not just students involved any more; it's families and the villages of those who were hurt. If the games were to carry on, another incident is sure to occur.
"It's not as if they will be banned forever, because they are a crucial part of school life. But for now, this needs to be, to give those students involved, and all students, the chance to think about what's happened."
Former All Black Michael Jones says he understands the need for the ban but acknowledged the opportunities students have lost as a result.
"If you think of the Brian Limas, the Casey Laulalas, that is where they began and that's where many of the top rugby players are discovered - inter-school games.
"I do feel for those very good athletes who won't get their chance, because that's where you can make your move, while competing against good rivals from other schools.
"Lessons will be learned from this [ban] and that's a good thing. But it's [inter-school games] such a fabric of Samoan life; a field of dreams for so many kids and hopefully this is isn't the end, because there's a whole other generation coming up."
Twenty students and a teacher from Don Bosco were held by police after the brawl, and all except one have been released on bail, to appear in court on May 20.
A reconciliation mass was held for all schools last Friday, after there was said to be a specific rivalry between Catholic and state-owned high schools.
Director of Catholic Education A'eau Chris Hazelman denied the specific rivalry and said: "It's no longer a just a school issue. Everyone in the community now needs to work together and reconciliation is just the first step."
