Video: Country game involving Blake Ferguson abandoned after wild crowd fight

Former NRL star Blake Ferguson has opened up on the racist abuse that sparked an ugly bush footy brawl and caused the match to be dramatically abandoned.

Blake Ferguson understands a racist comment sparked the melee.

Former NSW and Test star Blake Ferguson was playing in a country football game which was dramatically abandoned due to an ugly fight in the crowd over alleged racism.

Ferguson’s Wellington Cowboys were playing Forbes Magpies in a Peter McDonald Premiership match which was cut short by the referee with police immediately called to quell the violence.

The game was played at Spooner Oval, Forbes, on Sunday afternoon.

This masthead has secured videos of the fight, which involved up to 20 people and erupted in front of the venue’s grandstand. It was an all-in among fans.

No players were involved - they were playing on the nearby field - but Ferguson understands a racist comment triggered the drama.

Police are investigating with a male member of the crowd sustaining injuries with an ambulance called.

“I think it was a racist comment from the home team, their fan base,” Ferguson said. “It’s not good for kids to be seeing that type of stuff.

“I know they called an ambulance and that people were speaking with police. I know that there was an altercation. We just kept the players on the field and the ref called it off.

“We just went into the sheds and went home, to be honest. I didn’t see much because I was on the field. I haven’t heard anything or spoken to anyone today about it.

“I wasn’t involved in it. I just want to stay away from it to be honest.

“I guess over a period of time they will end up figuring out what happened and deal with it.”

The vision shows a shirtless man on the ground. He is picked up before being repeatedly punched.

The same man appeared to also be head butted. Other spectators attempted to push the combatants apart.

A man can be seen headbutting someone from the rival team.

Another video then shows the melee flare up again with multiple spectators running in. The brawl moves down a small hill in front of the grandstand.

NSWRL chief executive David Trodden said the NSWRL had a “zero tolerance” for such behaviour.

“We are doing an investigation at the moment so it would be premature to say too much until that investigation is completed,” Trodden said.

“But we should say that we have a zero tolerance approach to inappropriate behaviour. It gives our sport a black eye and anytime it happens, serious action has to be taken to ensure it doesn’t happen again.”

Other voices in the video can be heard saying: “C’mon, hang on.” One woman in the footage asks friends “to video it.”

The Peter McDonald Premiership, a competition which incorporates groups 10 and 11. It is played among semi-professional clubs.

Originally published as Video: Country game involving Blake Ferguson abandoned after wild crowd fight