• Reports of broken teeth, broken bones and cuts suffered in melee • ‘We have filed a police report on the incident,’ says Malaysian Rugby Union • Islamic international rugby tournament aimed at promoting solidarity

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The inaugural final of an Islamic international rugby tournament between Malaysia and Algeria was abandoned at the weekend after a savage all-in brawl involving players, officials and spectators.

Sunday’s match in Malacca was the final of the inaugural Crescent Cup, a six-nation tournament also involving Iran, Lebanon, Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan aimed at promoting solidarity and close cooperation between Islamic countries.

New Straits Times reported that an assistant referee had several teeth broken and suffered neck injuries in the melee, while 10 players from both sides required treatment for broken bones and cuts after the fight.

The Algerians were reportedly upset at what they saw as the partiality of the Thai referee, who later awarded Malaysia a 19-11 victory, according to a report on the match from Radio Algerie.

The Malaysian Rugby Union general manager, Mazuri Sallehudin, blamed the organisers of the tournament but accepted that his body, which sanctioned the event, could expect to be held to account by World Rugby.

“I believe the Algerian players could have been frustrated due to communication issues with the referee whose English was hard to understand,” he told the New Straits Times.

“From the feedback we have received, the organisers did not have enough security personnel on hand to quell the situation quickly.

“[One of our players] was attacked by six Algerians and it was at that point that the spectators went in to help him. We have already filed a police report on the incident and will have a council meeting to decide what action to take soon.

“Unfortunately, MRU and possibly the national team could also face disciplinary action from World Rugby and ARFU but we do not know yet.”