21 Jul 2015

Violence again mars American Samoa rugby

6:39 pm on 21 July 2015

A mass fight broke out at a rugby game in American Samoa over the weekend which involved spectators and players.

On Saturday, fighting broke out in a match at the Veterans Memorial Stadium involving Nuuuli and Fagatogo, when Fagatogo took exception to the referee's rulings.

Local reports say spectators from Nuuuli then went on to the field and a mass fight started.

The game was called off but the Fagatogo team was later attacked when it travelled through Nuuuli.

The team from Nuuuli had been banned for five years for an attack on a referee in 2011 but the ban was lifted after one year.

The President of the American Samoa Rugby Union, the former territorial president, Togiola Tulafono, was in the crowd but he has made no public comment on the latest violence.

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