Australian rugby fans attack referees with bottles following controversial call
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
An NRL Grand Final rematch between the Canterbury Bulldogs and South Sydney Rabbitohs turned ugly on Friday. Irate fans threw bottles from the stands and took their aggression on referees following a controversial 8-point try decision that helped the Rabbitohs cement an improbable second half comeback.
Isaac Luke sustained a kick and knee to the head while scoring South Sydney’s first try, which referees ruled to be dangerous contact -- setting up the game-defining score.
The NRL is investigating the situation and released the following statement:
“I’ll be having discussions with the club, the stadium and the authorities to ensure the appropriate penalties are handed out. There are a lot of marginal calls in rugby league, but what we saw today was completely unacceptable, and we will not tolerate it.”
Referees were injured from the bottles, with one official being hospitalized after sustaining a shoulder injury when he slipped on the field trying to avoid the projectiles.
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