Kristen Teasdale: Coach charged with 12yo footy attack a Jujitsu fighter
The NSW Rugby League has taken a hard line against those involved in three ugly rugby league incidents over the weekend, including an alleged assault on a 12-year-old boy and one on a referee.
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A referee was knocked out cold and a 12-year-old allegedly assaulted by a former amateur Jujitsu fighter in a shocking weekend of violence across the state’s local rugby league grounds.
Police have been called out to three alleged attacks at junior football matches in the past days prompting NSW Rugby League boss Dave Trodden to pledge life bans for troublemakers.
The Sunday Telegraph can reveal Kristen Teasdale — the 39-year-old Terrigal Sharks under-12s coach who allegedly ran on to Carrington St Oval at Narara on Saturday and pushed an opposition player to the ground — was once an amateur Brazilian Jujitsu competitor.
Teasdale’s social media profile shows him being awarded a first-place medal after the state championships in 2017. He has been charged with common assault.
Following the alleged incident, Brisbane Water Police Chief Inspector John Zdrilic said: “I think the message is to set an example for your children. Don’t expect your children to behave any less than you behave yourself.”
On the same day, in the state’s far west, a referee was allegedly knocked out by a punch to the face during a senior men`s Outback Rugby League match in Menindee.
The 47-year-old was allegedly hit at about 3.45pm, in the final minutes of the game, following an on-field scuffle between the Wilcannia Boomerangs and Menindee Yabbies.
A 26-year-old Boomerangs player is alleged to have punched the referee in the face before being later arrested at the scene and charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
It comes as a 24-year-old referee was also allegedly grabbed and threatened by a player at a Penrith Junior League game at Kingswood on Thursday night.
A police spokeswoman confirmed a fight between both teams had occurred following the game at 9pm, before the referee intervened and was allegedly assaulted.
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“Following inquiries, a 22-year-old man attended St Marys Police Station about 8.40pm on Friday and was spoken to by police. Investigations are continuing,” the police spokeswoman said.
NSW Rugby League announced all teams involved in the weekend’s incidents had been stood down and anyone found guilty over them in court faced “life bans”.
“Each of the incidents are completely contrary to the standards of any community sport and we have a duty to eradicate them from our game,” chief executive Dave Trodden said on Sunday.
“We have a zero-tolerance policy for abuse of our match officials who have every right to expect to feel safe while performing their duties … we have zero tolerance for behaviour that threatens the safety of participants and spectators involved in junior sport.”
A soccer match in south Sydney also turned sour on Saturday afternoon following a verbal altercation between the Arncliffe Aurora and Rockdale Suns men’s teams at Arncliffe Oval. An 18-year-old Arncliffe player was sent off following the incident before allegedly punching his own coach in the face.
He was charged with affray and behaving in an offensive manner in a public place.
An Arncliffe Aurora spokesperson declined to comment to The Daily Telegraph but the soccer club’s Facebook page published a post yesterday reminding players the club had “zero tolerance” for violence.