Ugly brawl between spectators and players shocks Canberra sport

Social media was awash with accusations about the spectators involved when footage of the incident surfaced on Tuesday. Canberra Region Rugby League boss Mark Vergano said he could not comment on individuals because the investigation was ongoing.

But it's understood those involved are facing significant bans after a scuffle between players got out of hand and one spectator could be seen grabbing a player during the West Belconnen Warriors game against the Bungendore Kangaroos in the first grade women's competition at Kippax.

Vergano told The Canberra Times he was "aware of an incident" and the matter is "under investigation by the disciplinary review committee".

Vision of the moment was captured in the Katrina Fanning Shield livestream coverage on Bar TV Sports.

But the full replay was removed from all platforms and a chunk of player details are missing from the online team sheets.

The Kangaroos and Warriors are understood to also be assisting the CRRL in identifying players and spectators involved.

Until the investigation is complete CRRL did not wish to comment further on specific details about who or how many players, staff and spectators are involved. The investigation could take up to two weeks to complete, with reports from clubs and witnesses to be reviewed.

The match was abandoned following the melee, with the Warriors up 48-0 in the round 14 game played at Raiders Belconnen.

It is yet to be decided if the result will stand as a win to West Belconnen, pending a conclusion to the CRRL investigation.

In the 46th minute Bungendore were awarded a ruck infringement penalty. In the aftermath of the penalty a brawl erupted between players from both teams, leading to one Kangaroos player being sent off and another sin-binned. A Warriors player was also sent to the sin bin.

Moments later another fight broke out on the sidelines involving a Kangaroos player and a spectator that ultimately spilled onto the field.

After the pair were separated, the female spectator walked back toward the sidelines as another Kangaroos player approached.

Then a Warriors player burst onto the field from the sideline and appeared to attack a different Kangaroos player, sparking more people to rush in to intervene.

That Warriors player was thrown to the ground as the same female spectator from earlier was involved in another brawl on the sideline.

West Belconnen are currently in title contention, second on the ladder in the Katrina Fanning Shield on equal points with the Queanbeyan Blues and competition leaders, the Woden Valley Rams.

Bungendore, meanwhile, remain winless going into round 15.

The incident comes as another violent clash with spectators and players is being investigated in Wagga Wagga's rugby league competition. The drama there unfolded on Saturday at Laurie Daley Oval during a game between Junee and Tumut.

Two similar serious incidents were investigated last year in the same competition, with one spectator banned for two years.

No similar violence is understood to have been investigated in Canberra rugby league this year.