A Heartland Rugby Championship player suffered a broken leg just minutes into a game in Waikato on Saturday.
Thames Valley and Buller kicked off their game about 1.30pm in Paeroa, but not long in Thames player Hayden Anderson suffered serious injury.
Thames Valley Rugby Union president Kelly Plummer said Anderson had gone in for a charge, and broken his leg.
The game paused for more than an hour while St John Ambulance was called and players retreated to clubrooms.