As sports fans we have seen some some truly disgusting things, but very few come close to this.
Saturday night, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph reported that Police were called to a junior rugby match after the 34-year-old allegedly lashed out at 16-year-old referee in an under-12Cs match between the Engadine Dragons and Gymea Gorillas.
The 34-year-old is a trainer for the Gymea team and was this afternoon charged with assault occasioning actual bodily harm.
The alleged assault is reported to have been sparked when the 16-year-old ordered the trainer’s son be replaced after lashing out at an opposing player with his foot.
For those unaware, players can’t be sent off in junior rugby league matches. Instead, the referee can order they be subbed out and replaced by a bench player.
Apparently this decision was enough for a 34-year-old man to enter the field of play and physically assault not just an official, but a kid just four years older than his son.
The referee, who suffered from a brain tumour four years ago was taken to hospital after being wheeled away by paramedics on a stretcher.
In moving scenes, he was given a standing ovation by spectators as he was wheeled away.
That in itself is a nice gesture, a community standing with the ref following a moment of sheer lunacy.
But we can’t focus on that. Let’s focus on the fraction of a human being who allegedly committed this atrocious act.
Coming from a bloke who has been threatened as a junior ref myself, how many different types of disgusting do you have to be to think that assaulting a child is a natural response to your son being sent from the field?
You are an adult for Pete’s sake! Not only that, you’re a trainer for the team. Not only your son, but the team itself looks up to you and this is how you chose to react?
Your son got sent off. Guess what, it happens! Instead of using it as a learning experience for your child, an opportunity to say. ‘keep your cool or this will happen in the future,’ you decided to go out there and punch a kid less than half your age.
What did you think? That your son’s league future is now ruined because he was asked to leave the field? Don’t make me laugh!
It was a 12c’s game of league, not the NRL grand final – and even there this sort of thuggery would be totally unacceptable.
But the most upsetting part is that you put another father in a position you would shudder to think of.
He watched as a fully grown adult struck down his son for doing his job.
“I’ve been involved in Cronulla rugby league for 35 years and I’ve never seen anything like this,” the referee’s father said.
“The crowd just groaned and I ran out on to the field to be with my son.”
Imagine if that was your son or daughter, physically assaulted for doing their job. I do not have children but the thought of that happening to my brother fills me with rage, I can’t imagine the raw emotions that brings up for a parent.
This type of behaviour at children’s sporting events is absolutely unacceptable and frankly, I have absolutely zero sympathy.
I hope that New South Wales Rugby League and the judicial system throw the book at this guy.
He deserves to be banned for life and possibly have a criminal record. Not just as an example to the kids that this behaviour is not tolerated in sport, but as a warning to all the other hot-headed morons who infect children’s sport.
If you want to act like the hooligans of old, don’t expect to play any part in your kids sporting life.
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