Rugby was always known as a rough and borderline-violent sport, but things took a turn for the worse in Saturday's Super League Grand Final when a player brutally knocked out an opponent just two minutes into the match.
St. Helens halfback Lance Hohaia was forced to leave the match with a concussion after Wigan's Ben Flower hit him with two punches. Flower received a red card and was removed from the game. Video of the incident, which can be seen at the bootom of the page, shows a brawl ensuing between the teams following Flower's attack on Hohaia, though no one else was ejected from the game.
Flower, who likely faces a lengthy ban for his conduct, said he has "no defence for my actions" and "I'll have to live with this for the rest of my career," according to The Guardian.
Wigan chairman Ian Lenagan and coach Shaun Wane released a joint statement apologizing "to Lance Hohaia, St. Helens and the general rugby league family." The statement continued, "It's a tough game but that tipped over the edge. Rugby league is a tough sport, which we are proud of, but such a response is neither encouraged nor condoned."
St. Helens ended up winning the match 14-6, which eased Hohaia's mood and made him willing to forgive Flower even though he was unable to return to the game.
"In the heat of the moment people do things they regret," Hohaia said. "I've done some silly things myself, so I don't hold any regrets against Ben - he's probably disappointed with himself. I don't remember the incident - people have been telling me what happened. I don't think the nose is broken but I'll have a scan on it in the week. I wanted to go back on but the doctor wouldn't let me and obviously my health goes before anything else."
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