WATCH | Fists fly at Varsity Cup rugby game

A Varsity Cup rugby game was cancelled after a group of people stormed onto the pitch and violence broke out on Monday night.

Maties Rugby club travelled to the Eastern Cape to play against the Madibaz in the FNB Varsity Cup.

Stellenbosch University was ahead in points when the match was called off. Video footage shows security guards being attacked and fists flying on the side lines of the game. Maties Rugby Club tweeted: “Official: Match between FNB Madibaz and FNB Maties have been stopped due to pitch invasion. The final score for the match is FNB Maties 19‚ FNB Madibaz 0.”

Mandisi Tshingana posted video footage of the scuffles on Facebook‚ accusing members of the South African Students Congress (Sasco) of being responsible for the brawl.

The allegations against Sasco members could not immediately be confirmed. However‚ this is a developing story and will be updated with further comment.

“SASCO members beating up security and rugby players and assaulting women. In the videos‚ spot the SRC President and various other SASCO members. Complaints brought forward are those of race quota and that fewer black people were on the field‚” Tshingana said on Facebook.

“SASCO proves to be champions of fists rather than champions of students issues that we face at the university.”

Madibaz tweeted:

Nelson Mandela Bay University DA Students Organisation condemned the events that took place on the rugby field.

“DASO Nelson Mandela University condemns the recent act of violence and hooliganism at our South Campus‚ Madibaz Stadium. This is a clear act of madness and exposes the weak safety controls at the institution ...

“We call for the university and law enforcement agencies to urgently investigate the matter and prosecute those found on the wrong side of the law.”

Nelson Mandela Bay University’s SRC distanced themselves from the violence. NMU SRC president Bamanye Matiwane said their only involvement was to break up the fighting when things started to get rough.

“We were caught up in a situation where we had to stop the fights because it quickly escalated. As the SRC we had to go there to stop the fights because no one was willing to stop fighting.”

Matiwane said that students from the university had stormed the field but could not confirm which organisation they belonged to. He called for an investigation.

“We need investigations into the allegations made that there weren’t enough black players on the field. There were also complaints about the recruitment strategy as well as racists within the department of sport and a lack of transformation of the sport. As the SRC we are still doing follow-ups on the validity of these claims.”