Spectator cops ban for rugby fight

Metallica fan Jamie Woods has been banned from playing or watching rugby at Lansdowne Park for two years after joining in a scrap between players during a division two semifinal on Saturday.

Mr Woods has been issued with a trespass notice by police, banning him from rugby events at the Blenheim rugby ground, after he was escorted from the park by a Tasman Rugby Union staff member.

Tasman Rugby Union Marlborough rugby manager Craig Morris said a scuffle broke out between a group of players during the match between Harlequins and Waitohi.

"It was more handbags than anything else, just the tension of a semifinal. It wasn't bad enough for the referee to reprimand any players."

A Harlequins club member watching the game then jumped over the rope around the field and "got in there, throwing some punches", he said.

The game continued after his eviction, with Harlequins winning 55-3.

Mr Woods admitted he was the club member, and said he had apologised to the referee, Mr Morris and both teams.

He said he did not want to comment further, as the matter "was still being dealt with".

Mr Woods played for the Harlequins division two team this year, but was not playing for them on Saturday.

Mr Woods created an online petition to get heavy metal band Metallica to play in Christchurch during  their upcoming tour of New Zealand.

He has since been given two tickets to one of the sold-out Christchurch shows in September, after he missed out on buying one. The avid fan will also  meet the band.

Mr Morris said there was no tolerance for spectators who became violent, and such cases were rare.

A spectator joined in a player melee at last year's division two final, throwing some punches before managing to escape unidentified, he said. An Awatere under-16 player was banned from rugby for six months after pushing and threatening a referee last year.

The trespass orders would be enforced as well as possible by the union, but mostly it would be up to the common sense of the offender to stay away, Mr Morris said.

"We would expect the player to be sensible enough to stay off the park, because it only takes one person to notice him and tell us and he could be arrested."

- The Marlborough Express