Some rugby fans were involved in a very shocking scenario as they fell head first after a stand collapsed at a match in Australia. The terrifying incident took place during the closing stages of a schoolboy game between St Joseph’s College and Riverview in Sydney.
It was towards the end of the match when part of the terrace railing at the Leichhardt Oval tumbled down. Over 15,000 supporters were in attendance and thankfully the ambulance quickly arrived on the scene and nobody was seriously harmed.
Local mayor Darcy Byrne said on Twitter : "The collapse of grandstand seating at Leichhardt Oval today during a school boy rugby match was incredibly dangerous. The footage is shocking. We are gathering information but thankfully it seems no one was seriously hurt.
"We are making the site safe and will fully investigate the safety risks this raises. I will share more information about the incident and the safety hazard as it comes to hand."
Fans on social media were horrified by the shocking turn of events and called for renovations to be made. Twitter user @NathanBishop27 said: “Maybe these stadiums DO need to be renovated, only for safety’s sake.”
While @footyindustryA added: “There are venues across the country still be used for matches for sports that are literally a century or so old. Fix the railing.” @Bradmac120970 penned: “Surely…upgrades required on suburban grounds!”
St Joseph's went on to defeat their opponents 35-20 but the scoreline proved insignificant following the incident that placed many at risk. The stamd collapse came just days after NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet failed to follow through with upgrading Leichhardt Oval.
Lee Hagipantelis, chair of National Rugby League side Wests Tigers, told the Weekend Australian : "He [Perrottet] has shafted rugby. These are elite sporting stadiums for the community. We have made our displeasure well known. He would be aware of it.
"As a club, we have sat down and formulated a stadium strategy for the next five or 10 years predicated on Leichhardt Oval being upgraded. The facilities at Leichhardt are third world, bordering on dangerous. He has attended Leichhardt on many occasions. He would be aware of it."
