Lukhan Tui asks Rugby Australia not to take action against irate supporter
THE irate Wallaby fan who was involved in an ugly physical confrontation with Lukhan Tui has avoided punishment from Rugby Australia who deemed the incident a one off.
RUGBY Australia has decided not to take any action against the cranky Wallaby fan who was involved in an ugly confrontation with Lukhan Tui in the aftermath of Saturday’s disheartening loss to Argentina at the Gold Coast.
Rugby Australia launched an investigation into the incident after the irate spectator was ejected from Cbus Super Stadium by local cops after his physical confrontation with the Wallaby backrower.
Tui was so upset by the incident, that was caught live on television, that he immediately went and told his teammates that he was taking a break from rugby for the rest of 2018, but later told Rugby Australia that he didn’t want any action taken against the supporter.
“Wallabies team management have been in dialogue with Lukhan since the incident and he has indicated that he does not wish to pursue the matter any further and therefore no further action will be taken by Rugby Australia,” Chief Executive Raelene Castle said.
Castle said Rugby Australia considered the incident to be an isolated issue so had no plans to change its policy of allowing players to mingle with the crowd after matches.
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“The interaction between players and fans is an extremely important part of sport and we never want to see an incident like this again,” she said.
“We want Rugby fans to be able to get up close and personal with their heroes and our Wallabies stars.
“We haven’t experienced anything like this in our game in the past, so we don’t want to race into any hasty measures.”
Castle said she understood why Wallaby fans were so furious at the team’s limp performance in the 23-19 loss to Argentina, Australia’s first defeat to the Pumas on home soil in 35 actions, but said the actions of the fan were still not acceptable.
Several players, including Tui, were talking to friends and family near the fence when the spectator gave them a huge spray after they butchered a last-minute that would have won the match.
Tui was already in a highly emotional state after the sudden passing of his stepfather in the lead up to the Test then saw red when one of his younger family members was physically impacted during the exchanges.
“This incident was not something you want to see at any sporting event,” she said.
“Emotions were running high after the match on Saturday night and I understand why Wallabies fans are frustrated after a result like that.
“Two fans came into the area where players families were gathered and were arguing and using offensive language in criticising the players over their performance. One of Lukhan’s young family members was physically caught up in this exchange and this prompted the reaction from Lukhan.”
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Originally published as Lukhan Tui asks Rugby Australia not to take action against irate supporter