’Absolutely disgraceful’ incident at Coast junior rugby game

Clubs are promising to take action after an ‘absolutely disgraceful’ confrontation broke out between opposing coaches at an under 10s footy game on the Gold Coast.

The incident happened at the end of an under 10s game between the Coomera Crushers and Helensvale Hogs.

AN “absolutely disgraceful” confrontation has broken out between opposing coaches after an under 10s rugby union game on the Gold Coast.

Dozens of parents and children were at the club at the time. It’s understood one of the men approached the other and asked to speak with him.

The pair walked behind the club before things turned ugly between the Coomera Crushers and Helensvale Hogs coaches.

According to witnesses, the pair had to be pulled apart by other parents at the game.

The presidents of both clubs have declared their disappointment over the incident.

The incident took place at playing fields used by the Coomera Crushers at Beattie Rd.

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Police are investigating the altercation that is believed to have stemmed from one of the under 10s players leaving one of the clubs for the other.

The wild scenes at the junior game were witnessed by a number of people at Coomera Crushers Rugby Union fields on Beattie Rd. One onlooker described the incident as “disgusting.”

No charges have been laid at this time.

The presidents of each club vowed to ensure there is no repeat of the incident.

“We will wait for the police investigations to unfold and then we will follow on from that,” Hogs president Karl Wernham said.

“We’ll definitely be taking a strong stance against that sort of behaviour and scrubbing it out of the game. It’s a terrible look.”

Gold Coast rugby union chairman Kim Bending. Picture: Jerad Williams

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Coomera president Troy Lavery added: “We do not condone that behaviour and we as a club will be coming down hard on those involved.”

Gold Coast District Rugby Union chairman Kim Bending echoed those sentiments.

“It’s appalling behaviour in front of the kids,” he said. “When anything like that happens, it puts a sad face on everyone.

“They were there to enjoy, it’s a trial match, it’s under 10s — we’re not talking about a Wallabies Test match — and it is not condoned in any shape or form by the district.

“We’re not comfortable with it but the correct process is taking place and the correct result will come of it and hopefully it doesn’t rear its ugly head again.”

Hogs under 11s assistant coach Josh Bush contacted the Bulletin to defend his clubmate’s character.

“Over the seven-plus years that I have been with the club and known (the Helensvale under 10s coach), he has never been in any sort of altercation or arguments,” Bush said.

“He is just one of the most friendly guys you would meet really … there’s not really a bad word that I think anyone could say about him.”