Pro D2 players embroiled in car park brawl resulting in serious injury
Another belting weekend in the ProD2 resulted in several tight contests, with the promotion and relegation battles taking the spotlight. Unfortunately, not all ended on a positive note, as after USO Nevers claimed a 44-41 win over AS Béziers Hérault, as both teams got into a parking lot brawl that resulted in some injuries.
With both teams deeply engaged in a fight to avoid relegation, Nevers clinched their first win in four months, securing four precious points that allowed them to overtake Béziers by one point. As for the biterrois side, they have faced several issues throughout the season and are now just three points from falling to second-to-last place with five games remaining.
With both sides scoring six tries each, it came down to the tee, with Yohan Le Bourhis besting Samuel Marques in the end. The Nevers fly-half slotted 14 points while the Lobos legend managed only 11, although both missed two penalties each.
In the end, AS Béziers-Hérault’s lack of discipline cost them the game, as they conceded 11 penalties and had two players sent to the sin-bin. However, despite the tense nature of the game, nothing seemed to point to a brawl that would ensue almost half an hour after the game’s end.
As first reported by French outlet Rugbyrama, Nevers’ Jason Fraser and Béziers-Hérault Otunuku Pauta were locked in a tense confrontation that sparked a boxing match between the locals’ prop, Ilia Kaikatsishvili, and Béziers’ Youssef Amrouni.
The fight ended with Kaikatsishvili having a broken nose, as USO Nevers president, Régis Dumange, confirmed to the local Journal du Centre.
“Later, when I went downstairs, I saw the club doctor treating Ilia. He told me he’d just been headbutted and had a broken nose. The two coaching staffs met to calm things down. It was decided that Béziers would leave earlier than planned to prevent the situation from escalating.”
However, Kaikatsishvili went on the pursuit of the Béziers-Hérault team bus as the Georgian prop demanded an apology from Amrouni. Fortunately, he turned back, seemingly putting an end to the affair, as Nevers didn’t file an official complaint.
The LNR is looking into the situation and has stated that an investigation has been opened.