9 hours ago
Rugby fans storm pitch and fight as top players chased into dressing room
Rugby fans storm pitch and fight as top players chased into dressing room
15 riot police attempted to break up the violence as players fled to safety
Grenoble and Perpignan fans stormed the pitch after their huge Top 14 promotion play-off match and traded blows in ugly scenes.
The two teams had clashed for a place in the Top 14 next season before chaos erupted and players fled to the sanctuary of the dressing room. Grenoble, who Welsh international Sam Davies plays for, lost the match 13-11, but it's the behaviour of fans that's become the story.
Footage published by Ovalie Media on X shows fans appearing to throw punches and kicks as others attempt to dispel the chaos.
Fifteen French riot police officers (known as CRS), holding shields and wearing helmets, took to the field to calm things down. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby.
Perpignan president Francois Riviere confirmed supporters allegedly chased Perpignan players into the changing rooms after the game. He said: "I had two players chased all the way to the locker room entrance.
"They were guys who were in the locker room area, a controlled zone, but who wanted to fight my players.
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"It's incredible, I've never seen anything like it! While the Grenoble staff were perfect and very kind."
A wider view of the violence can be viewed below.
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Riviere added: "I am sorry for this atmosphere, which is not (a good) one. I have rarely seen such hostility in my career.
"I was struck by this atmosphere, struck to see that you had CRS (riot police) who were forced to enter a rugby field wearing helmets.
"My shirt was completely stained with blood, because I came to help supporters in difficulty! I have never seen anything like that."
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For Wales international and former Dragons fly-half Davies, the loss was a second blow in as many weeks, after losing the initial Pro D2 play-off match against Montauban, who will play Top 14 rugby next season.
It's three seasons in a row, now, that Grenoble have lost out on promotion. It comes as an even more frustrating outcome considering that they topped the Pro D2 with 98 points, 21 more than Montauban.
Davies' electric performances have captured the French second division and his services have reportedly attracted interest from other clubs in Europe, although he signed a new deal with the club in January.
