Wallabies coach Michael Cheika doesn’t expect Lukhan Tui will join the team for their Rugby Championship tour after indicating his desire to sit out the remainder of the season.
A distraught Tui told teammates he needed to take a break from rugby after his altercation with a spectator who had allegedly pushed his sister moments after Saturday night’s 23-19 defeat to Argentina.
It was an ugly end to an already emotional week for Tui’s family – his stepfather died suddenly on Wednesday and the Wallabies wore black armbands in his honour during the game on the Gold Coast.
Tui was still able to take his place in the starting team and played the full 80 minutes at blindside flanker.
But Cheika said the 21-year-old addressed the playing group after the match, telling them he needed to take time away from rugby and would cut his 2018 campaign short.
That means sitting out trips to South Africa and Argentina later this month – two hugely important clashes for a Wallabies team in the thick of a horrendous patch of form.
Cheika is hopeful he can talk Tui around but, as things stand, he doesn’t anticipate he will play in either of those matches.
“That remains to be seen. We’ll see how the week pans out and go from there,” he told reporters at Brisbane airport on Sunday.
“I’d say it’s unlikely, based on what we spoke about last night.”
Cheika said he hadn’t seen or spoken to Tui since the match.
“I think it’s very unfortunate, the combination of factors – the game itself, also (Tui’s) situation,” he said.
“I don’t know about the fan or what he said or anything.
“I just don’t like to see that in the game.
“His stepfather’s just passed away … he needs to just be with his family and be together.”
Rugby Australia is seeking CCTV vision from inside the stadium and will await reports from venue security before determining what course of action will be taken.
Broadcast footage showed the man hurling abuse at players before the push-and-shove with Tui unfolded.
Other players, injured Wallabies centre Samu Kerevi and team staffers moved in to try and defuse the situation.
The fan was later led away from the area by his throat by another spectator and was detained by Rugby Australia security guards, along with a second offending fan.
Police were on hand and took details but did not arrest either supporter.
“I don’t know the details of exactly what happened. As they do in all the grounds in Australia they’ll take a look at it and the people at the ground, they’re responsible for that stuff,” Cheika said.
Ash
Guest
There’s numerous articles if you look. Here’s one for example: https://i.stuff.co.nz/national/politics/90657034/nzs-highest-rate-of-family-violence-in-the-developed-world--amy-adams-has-had-enough
freddieeffer
Roar Rookie
Redsfan1, I commend Tui for having the emotional intelligence to know that he is not mentally or emotionally together, in his circumstances, to carry on. To articulate this and be up-front straight after the game to his teammates and say "I need some time out" is very honourable and important that he express it. To suggest Tui is uncommitted is way off the mark and quite a judgemental and hurtful thing to say about someone whose circumstances clearly indicate he is hurting deeply. He's not quitting, he needs a temporary break. Tui gets massive plaudits from me, and I won't be putting in the boot while he's down.
Redsfan1
Guest
Actually rugby.com.au scored Tui a '5' for the game. They are usually generous as rugby AU paid website. Are you seriously saying Tui played well? In a historic loss to Argentina he dropped the ball multiple times, missed tackles and made little run metres at all. He refuses to compete at line out time so what's the point? I urge you to rewatch the game and Tui.
JB
Guest
It was a very ugly incident and the bald headed dude was way out of line. I don't see any evidence of the girl being pushed, although it could have happened off camera, and it looks as though Tui reacted angrily to something Baldy said. Unfortunately it does represent a fan base that is getting more and more frustrated with the Wallabies lack of progress. In fact we have have gone backwards a long way since the Irish series. It could be that Ledesma was a very important cog in the Wallaby machine? Back to Tui. Hopefully he will reconsider and tour with the team to SA and Argentina. I understand he and his family have experienced a loss and my condolences go out to all of them. He is employed by RA to play rugby and if selected he should play. If not he might consider a different career path. Very few people have the means to decide not to go to work for 3-4 months, maybe 5 if its not until the Super Rugby season, or employers who would be OK with that, even if there has been a family tragedy. Of course he should be given adequate bereavement leave to grieve and support his family but he should then go back to work, as most of us would have to do. He is a young guy and of course he has been on an emotional roller coaster with his family and with the Wallabies. He is an excellent prospect who still has a great deal to offer rugby in Australia. If he chooses to go down a different path then good luck to him. But he has been given an opportunity to represent Australia at the highest level. Jump on deck and get on with it if thats what you want to do and appreciate that for what it is.
Jeff
Guest
Love to know where you get your statistics from.
rebel
Roar Guru
Not many security companies wear a cap backwards as part of their uniform.
rebel
Roar Guru
Par for Realist
mzilikazi
Roar Pro
"All we are commenting on is his performance(s) which have been poor." In your opinion, Rf1....not in mine, nor I suspect many others . You should know that he is a lock playing on the flank.
Peter
Guest
OK, you're back-pedalling now, but I do urge you to re-read your first comment and then tell us that you were just commenting on his performance.
MH01
Guest
No one deserves to be grabbed by the neck with force. And you know that it was a spectator how ? If that’s the case, the tool that started this can press for assault.
Daveski 2.0
Roar Rookie
No way, totally deserved it and it wasn't security just a ( large ) fellow spectator or possibly someone else in Tui's group. Looked like a very efficient way of clearing the guy away from the scene. Frankly he deserved a kicking.
jcmasher
Roar Rookie
That’s a real shame. Hope he and his family are ok
Ash
Guest
At the end of the day it’s just a game. Family comes first. Too many people take sport far too seriously. Just look at the family violence rate in NZ when the ABs lose which already has the highest rate in the developed world. This tells you something is seriously wrong. We need to take a deep breath and move on and take it for what it is.
MH01
Guest
Sadly this is a reflection of how the fans are getting frustrated with the current situation. Cheika’s comments are really stupid , and shows how he is so out of tune with the fans - it’s quite pathetic. Speaking of pathetic, irrespective of what the fan said, security had no right to drag him away by his throat - disgusting behaviour by a thug. If people want to cry foul, look at the footage, security had a lot to answer for what happened , they failed on many accounts !
Redsfan1
Guest
No one forced Tui to play, no one brought up his personal life. Yet it's now been thrown into the public domain by Cheika and himself. All we are commenting on is his performance(s) which have been poor.
Armchair Sportsfan
Roar Rookie
Classy comment....
AJ
Guest
How poor is the security? If that was at Suncorp and the Gabba they would've been on him like flies on a turd.
Fi woo
Guest
One of the highlights of the game was Tui holding two Argentinians at the end of each arm at halftime . Looks like plenty of heart to me. Hope he comes back stronger from this.
ethan
Guest
Geez, this guy is clearly a massive talent, going through a difficult time, and the only two comments here rub salt into the wound? Family comes before football, and if time away is what Tui needs, good for him. Not good for the WBs however.
Redsfan1
Guest
It was an ugly incident but Tui must be seriously uncommitted to quit. After his shocking performance he should have been dropped anyway. Yes I know about his sad personal news. The drunken fan who went after him clearly was out of line. But the anger against this woeful Wallabies team is real and understandable. Cheika needs to watch his mouth before telling fans "they should be happy now". He is rapidly losing the public.