Lukhan Tui’s scuffle with Wallabies fans after their loss to Argentina followed verbal abuse directed at other players.
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, a man wearing a Wallabies jersey told Jack Maddocks, the 21-year-old replacement back: ‘You’re all f**king useless. F**king disgraceful. Why don’t you play with some heart? You should all be f**king ashamed.’
After Maddocks walked off, Folau Fainga’a and Adam Coleman became the fans’ targets.
The fan then went up the stairs and, according to a witness, ‘went straight at Lukhan’, who was chatting with friends and family in the stands. All of a sudden, Tui and the man tried to grab each other.
Injured Australian player Samu Kerevi, a Wallabies official and others kept the two apart.
‘Lukhan came in to help out because that guy was swearing around his family,’ said Kerevi on Instagram on Sunday. ‘That altercation only happened because the drunk fan told Lukhan to “play with some heart”. The fact he was even on the field speaks volumes. For everyone throwing chat at my boy, shut your mouth.’
Tui, whose stepfather had passed away days earlier, is now considering taking a break from the game until the end of the year.
Rugby Australia issued a statement on Monday saying the incident had been investigated and found that two fans used offensive language directed at the Wallabies players.
However, RA chairperson Raelene Castle said no further action will be taken against the fans or Tui but the RA will review its security measures.
‘Wallabies team management have been in dialogue with Lukhan since the incident and he has indicated that he does not wish to pursue the matter any further and therefore no further action will be taken by Rugby Australia,’ Castle said in the statement.
