The coach of the Campbelltown Collegians rugby league team has defended his players following a brawl that led to the club being stood down by the NSW Rugby League. Senior coach Tita Luta stated that taunts and alleged racial slurs from the sidelines contributed to the "disgraceful" on-field incident.
The fight occurred at the weekend between the Collegians under-18s team and rivals from the Oaks Tigers. Video footage of the melee was published by Sydney radio host Mark Levy, who described the Collegians' players as "utterly disgraceful."
Luta responded via social media, posting a defiant message that read, "They've been bashing our club all over the media. Calling our young fellas out of their name. They will never accept us in this competition, and judging by some of the comments recently, they never will."
Both the Campbelltown Collegians and the Oaks Tigers have been stood down by the NSWRL pending an investigation. During the brawl, a 71-year-old man, who was reportedly involved in the altercation, sustained serious injuries and is being treated in hospital.
Further footage shared on Instagram by Seru Tamani, co-founder of the Campbeltown Saints, appeared to show Collegians players being subjected to abuse from spectators at a recent match. The video was accompanied by the caption, "two sides to every story," and included audible taunts such as "Get back on ya boat" and "f*** off number 6 you w***er."
Channel Seven reporter Liam Tapper reported receiving multiple allegations from Collegians players, suggesting that "racial slurs said towards their players" were a factor leading to the brawl. The NSW Police are investigating the incident, according to the Daily Mail.