Sydney rugby league teams stood down after postgame brawl at Chester Hill

A man has been charged after a video spread online of a horrifying brawl on the sidelines of a Sydney rugby game.

Two teams have been stood down and a man has been charged after a brawl broke out on the side-lines of a rugby match in Sydney’s west.

The fight broke out 30 minutes after the Lalor Park Kookaburras scored a narrow victory 28-24 over the Berala Bears at the Terry Lamb Complex in Chester Hill on Sunday afternoon.

Video spread online shows a crowd of more than a dozen men – many in team jerseys – locked in a tight brawl which last just over a minute and moved through the carpark onto the edge of the field.

Detective Superintendent Adam Johnson said he was shocked by what he saw in the video, with police arriving after many of the people allegedly involved in the brawl had dispersed.

“It’s totally unacceptable, there are clearly people who haven’t got their emotions in check and they‘ve got issues with their anger,” Mr Johnson told reporters on Monday.

The fight broke out 30 minutes after the Lalor Park Kookaburras scored a narrow victory 28-24 over the Berala Bears. Picture: Daily Telegraph

A 21-year-old man from Merrylands was taken into police custody and on Monday was charged with affray and behaving in offensive manner in or near public place or school.

He has been granted conditional bail to appear in Bankstown Local Court on July 13.

In the wake of the brawl, the Berala Bears Rugby League Football Club on Monday announced they had voluntarily withdrawn from the competition as police investigated the brawl.

“The Berala Bears JRLFC takes matters of this nature very seriously, and we do not condone acts of violence on or off the field,” the statement said on Monday.

“The Berala Bears JRLFC are fully cooperative with the official investigation already underway by the NSW Police, Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs, and NSWRL officials.

“The Berala Bears JRLFC adopts a tough love in league policy and accordingly have made the decision to withdraw the A-Grade team involved in the incident from competition, effective immediately.”

The club stated anyone allegedly involved was “entitled to a presumption of innocence” and that the withdrawal was rather in line with the club’s “longstanding tough love policy”.

In less than a minute of video, the brawl moves through a carpark and onto the edge of the field as multiple men appear to pursue a man wearing a jersey. Picture: Daily Telegraph

The Canterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs and Parramatta Eels issued a stand-notice notice to both of the clubs following the incident, with the Lalor Park Kookaburras yet to make any statement.

In a statement to The Daily Telegraph, the NSW Rugby League said it had a zero-tolerance approach towards violent and abusive conduct towards players, officials, and spectators.

“The incident will be reviewed (on Monday) by the NSWRL in conjunction with Canterbury-Bankstown District Junior Rugby League and Parramatta Junior Rugby League,” a spokesperson said.

“The review will take into account any video footage as well as reports from the ground manager, referees and any eyewitnesses.”

Police believe the brawl involved members of the two teams and expect more arrests will be made as the investigation continues.