Pitch invaders condemned

• Published date: 29 May 2023
• Author: Webster rues ‘a million moments’ A42
• Publication title: Daily Post, The (Rotorua, New Zealand)

A full house of more than 15,000 fans were at Napier’s McLean Park on Saturday night for the game against the Brisbane Broncos, but while the result went down to the wire, the big talking point on social media afterwards was the pitch invaders

Pitch invasions are illegal at major sports events in New Zealand. It carries a maximum fine of $5000 or a three-month term behind bars.

A police spokeswoman said 12 people who had entered McLean Park in the final 10 minutes of the game were apprehended by Red Badge security and then arrested by police.

Police had then issued them with warnings and trespassed them from McLean Park, she said.

The crowd had been mostly well-behaved before that, with two other arrests, one when a man was denied entry for intoxication before the match, she said.

Dagg said on Twitter he’d counted roughly 10 “streakers” at the game, and though most of them were at least partially clothed, he described it as “appalling”.

“People encouraging these streakers should be embarrassed!! Don’t applaud them!! Boo them!! It’s appalling,” he wrote.

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