A Feilding under-15 rugby match was called off after a tackle turned into a brawl.

A Manawatu schoolboy rugby match devolved into an all-out brawl between players and spectators after a tackle went awry.

Police are investigating after reports up to 50 people were involved in the altercation at an under-15s match between Feilding High School and Levin's Waiopehu College on Saturday.

It is understood a boy – a spectator – broke his leg in the incident.

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Feilding High School principal Martin O'Grady said the injured boy was not a player, but the child of a staff member who was watching from the sideline.

"There was a tackle, arms and legs flying [and it] fell out of the field of play and the kid was knocked.

"In this case, it was a terrible accident."

An eye-witness said punches were thrown between players after the boy was injured, with spectators running in from the sidelines.

Manawatu Rugby Union operations manager Martin Brady confirmed the match in Feilding was called off.

"Any match that is called off will go to the judiciary," he said.



"Given that it was minors involved, that is all I can say."



When asked if parents or spectators were involved, he said he was "unable to comment".

​Feilding police acting Senior Sergeant Jeff Veale said a call came through at 11.53am on Saturday stating 50 teenagers and adults were fighting on Feilding High School rugby field.

"We have spoken to a number of people but still have a number more to speak to.

"We're still trying to get a full picture of what happened."

Veale said he was unsure if the number of 50 people being involved was accurate.

"There was probably that many people at the game but whether there was that many involved, I don't believe there was."

O'Grady said he thought the vast majority of the adults who were seen on the field were trying to calm people down.

"From a distance, to be honest, I think some people have not been able to see what was going on."

After everyone calmed down, the decision was made to abandon the match. "Both teams said three-cheers and shook hands," O'Grady said.

He said they had planned to get the two groups together to have a debrief once the investigation into the incident was complete.

Waiopehu College principal Mark Robinson said the matter was being handled by the Manawatu Rugby Union, but he had spoken to students and parents about it.

"In one sense, I guess it's classic rugby boil-over.

"[However], these things are not OK and it's important the judicial review goes through its process [to let] people know what happened and what can be done to prevent it happening again."

Robinson said he had been principal of the school for 18 months and he had never seen anything like this before.

Holly Carrington, communications manager for Shine, New Zealand's largest domestic abuse-prevention charity, said the incident sounded horrendous.

"It's important that good behaviour is role-modelled everywhere, and a sports field is no different than anywhere else.

"There are some people in society who feel that that's an acceptable place [a sports match] to get angry, and express it as violence towards other people, and we've got to turn those attitudes around."

In 2015, a spectator was hospitalised and required surgery after a rugby brawl in Bulls.

Michael Baker suffered a cracked eye-socket and a broken cheekbone at a game between College Old Boys and home side Bulls in April.

The brawl spilled over the sideline to where team officials and reserves were standing. Baker was nearby and was struck by a player.

He was taken to hospital, before undergoing surgery.