A scuffle during a rugby match saw blood spilled on the Bombay Gymkhana field after blows were exchanged between Uzbekistan and Maharashtra State Police ruggers during the All India & South Asia Division 1 meet on Tuesday.

A high tackle on an Uzbekistan RFC side player by a MSP rugger with seven minutes to go for the whistle triggered a melee which left Uzbek winger Talipov Radik with a gashing cut on the right side of the forehead. Punches rained from both ends as the young visiting player — from the only foreign side invited to compete in the championship — contested the tackle. A fight broke out after MSP’s team and supporters joined in the scuffle, with the Uzbeks retaliating in kind.

Three referees who intervened to separate the two sides — including Englishman Roy Maybanks — also came in the line of attack, as MSP’s supporters picked up chairs and poles, not sparing the officials. The match was called off after the ruckus, with the tie awarded to the Uzbeks and an internal enquiry set into motion that will act upon a detailed report on Wednesday.

With the Uzbeks leading 21-0 with less than 10 minutes left during the second 35-minute half, Radik found himself brought down by a high tackle close to the sidelines. The proximity of the incident to both the benches worsened the scenario as MSP’s supporters joined in and the Uzbeks came to the rescue of their own player. “It was very unfortunate. Especially since they were the cops’ team, they should have shown some restraint against opponents and certainly never attacked the officials,” said one referee. “The cops must have been frustrated as they were trailing at that stage. It was a hard match with some strong tackling and it happened in the heat of the moment as a semi-final spot was at stake,” said Aga Hussain of the Indian Rugby Football Union. “Since it was close to full time, the match was called off. We will however look into video footage of the game, and take necessary action soon,” he added.

... contd.