Tighter control of spectators needed at big rugby games
The epic tussle between Suva and Naitasiri in the final of the Skipper Cup rugby championship at the ANZ Stadium in Suva produced all kinds of spectacle.
Tension ran high among some fans. One young fan could not help but jumped to the front and started dancing and chanting after his team took the lead. And older man, offended by the young man’s antics, crashed his way over spectators on front of him to get to the young.
He told the young fan to stop it and slapped him. No security was around to intervene and hold the attacker accountable. He coolly walked up back to his seat and sat down as if nothing happened.
The young fan probably did not report the incident to the Police out of fear, but the action by the older man was unacceptable. No security or law enforcement officer showed up for the rest of the game. The incident was witnessed by hundreds of spectators.
In a second incident, all we could hear was a commotion and shouting from those sitting at the back. When things appeared to get out of hand a spectator ran down the aisle to seek Police or security help.
Police, soldiers and security then rushed in with a stretcher to take a person who appeared to have been hurt to a waiting ambulance.
Security officers should not wait to be told to intervene when something unusual happens. They should be proactive and try to intervene early before things get out of hand.
They should be watching the crowds, not the games. Spectator safety is paramount, which is the reason why they are there.
People should feel safe to go and watch a sports game without being intimidated or attacked by a rival fan. The young fan who was slapped on the face was noticeably shaken by that experience. He could very well have been traumatised.
In such a highly charged game like the Skipper Cup final the security needs to be tightened to prevent similar incidents.