Violence Erupts at Redfern Oval Grand Final

Redfern Oval
Photo Credit: Sattlersjaw/Wikimedia Commons

A grand final day marred by violence on and off the field at Redfern Oval has prompted investigations by the Souths Juniors and NSW Police.

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On-field brawl mars end of A-Reserve Grand Final

A violent brawl broke out between players in the dying minutes of the A-Reserve Grand Final between the Redfern All Blacks and Alexandria Rovers at Redfern Oval on Sunday.

The fight erupted after a “dog shot” tackle in which a player went in with his arm swinging. Both teams then threw punches as the final whistle sounded.

Souths Juniors chief executive Luke Curry said bans would be handed out following an investigation into the on-field brawl. A hearing is likely to take place next week to ensure due process was followed.

Street brawl follows stadium violence

Hostilities appeared to continue off the field. At around 3:00 p.m, reports of another brawl prompted the police to rush towards Chalmers Street in Redfern. The call was to disperse a street brawl believed to involve a group of teenage girls who had attended the grand final.

According to a police statement, the brawl broke out after the crowd outside the stadium learned of the earlier incident.

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A number of police units attended to disperse the crowd. One teenage girl was later presented to Royal Prince Alfred Hospital with a head laceration, but no other injuries were reported.

Police say inquiries into the circumstances around both brawls are ongoing.

Published 31 August 2023