Players involved in training ground fight following weekend loss

Prop Kershawl Sykes-Martin and lock Will Tucker began fighting while media were gathered on the sidelines waiting for scheduled interviews. Crusaders captain David Havili intervened quickly, stepping in to break up the altercation between the forwards.

The clash comes during a challenging start to the Super Rugby Pacific campaign for the Christchurch-based team. After their weekend defeat to the Blues at Eden Park, the Crusaders sit eighth on the table with only one win from their opening four matches.

Head coach Rob Penney, however, dismissed concerns about the incident and framed it as a sign of the players’ frustration and commitment to improving results.

“So there should be [tension],” Penney said when asked about the altercation.

“It was a really lovely sight to see, actually. It is a reflection of how much it means. The boys aren’t happy with the performances and the outcomes.

“Very proud young men are going to come up against each other and create a bit of sandpaper from time to time. But it’s not a thing that is going to affect negatively. We are all over it, the boys are fine.”

The scuffle marks the second training-ground altercation of the current Super Rugby season. Earlier in the year, Waratahs teammates Angus Scott-Young and Miles Amatosero were involved in a pre-season fight that left Scott-Young needing stitches and suffering a fractured eye socket, while Amatosero received a four-match suspension.