Six rugby players from the Maharashtra State Police team face long-term ban from the game after they were found guilty of attacking their Uzbek rivals during an All India and South Asia rugby tournament match at the Bombay Gymkhana on Tuesday.

A three-member committee set up by Rugby India analysed the videotapes of the incident for close to three hours and concluded that MSP players started the brawl without any “acceptable provocation”.

“We found out that there was nothing on part of the Uzbeks to trigger the violent reactions of the MSP players, who were clearly the guilty party,” said Salim Tayabjee, an ex-Bombay Gymkhana player and one of the members of the committee, which is headed by solicitor and ex-player Darius Moos.

While the exact nature of the punishment will be clear on Friday, the offenders are likely to be handed stern suspensions. “The Uzbek had merely pushed away the player with his hands which happens all the time in rugby. The MSP guys — both players and reserves — clearly went overboard in their reaction without any acceptable provocation. They’ve brought disrepute to the sport. We can’t do much about their supporters who joined in,” Tayabjee added.

The game’s rulebook stipulates penalties for kicking and punching, and in this case, the committee said, the chairs that the MSP players used to attack the Uzbeks will be treated as weapons.

“Players need to be given a clear message that it won’t be tolerated. As a team they can’t be penalised, but when there’s clear evidence against players they should be punished,” said IRFU’s Aga Hussain, adding the Indian rugby would tolerate no indiscipline that showed the game in poor light. “It’s dangerous because one rash action can cause permanent damage to a player. In South Africa, a player seen kicking another was given a life ban and the year before last, a Delhi reserve who jumped onto the field and got involved in a nasty fight was handed a three-year-ban,” he added.

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