Parents get involved in fight that broke out at school rugby match
There is a fine line between getting heated and burned; we can only hope that parents can tell the difference.
Some lines should never be crossed - even in rugby.
A video that has many people sharing their views about sports and parents shows a rugby game between Bishops College and SACS. The match was part of the Cape Town Schools' derby, and the high spirits of the players and their families shifted after a brawl broke out on the field.
Bishops scored a try late in the game, bringing the score to 12-10. With Bishops' win, spirits were high, but moments later, two players shoved each other, and things took a turn for the worse.
Hymie Slabbert, a contributor from 2OceansVibe, shared his account of the brawl after he was sent videos over WhatsApp.
"One school had apparently won, via a late try, in a brave performance after a difficult season. Then more videos came through showing a fracas that had taken place under the poles after the try had been scored. There was an initial scuffle between two players, which was subsequently joined by others in an unsavoury scene...And then a lady of indeterminant age between 50 and 70 walked onto the area of the field behind the poles and slapped one of the players. Like a forthright grandmother from another age, castigating a youth from her village who she perceived was straying from the path."
Take a look at the video below - courtesy of X.
Ugly scenes in the Cape derby between Bishops and SACS yesterday with parents and old boys joining in after a fight broke out between the players.
— Mariette Adams (@MarietteAdams_) August 11, 2024
Disgusting behaviour by all adults involved. They should be ashamed.
📽️: @SARugbymag pic.twitter.com/sFT5yMEATY
There seems to be some uncertainty about this video's timeline because the above snippet from YouTube is entitled Bishops v SACS - June 2024. Still, according to other sources, including Slabbert, this brawl occurred last Saturday, 10 August 2024.
People (both parents and non-parents) shared their disappointment in the video's comments section.
- "I was there, parents must not go onto the field; there are officials to sort any problem out! She cannot assault a child because she is a parent, I hope the child’s parents lays case of assault."
- "Looks to me like the parents tried to intervene, not get involved. Why sensationalize this?"
- "If parents join in such acts. It’s no longer Rugby, it’s thuggery. This happens when winning is seen as the only outcome."
- "Mountain out of a molehill. Very little to see here. Parents should never go on the field but when people start calling this ASSAULT I really roll my eyes. Most of the spectators seemed to be trying to STOP the fight (They shouldnt) Its a rugby game. There will be scuffles!"
- "Jeepers people - it's a game, that's all, and a pretty rough one at that. To be fair, it looks like most parents were simply trying to de-escalate the fight but, honestly, none of them belong on the field - EVER."
Slabbert said: "We have said it before in these pages but there is far too much pressure on these boys to win. Rugby is a game designed to release some testosterone and teach gentlemen how to behave. It is not war. It is high time that the sensible, intelligent people take back control." (2OceansVibe)
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Image Courtesy of X