Mass brawl breaks out at French amateur rugby match

A French rugby union match descended into chaos after an aggressive challenge sparked a mass brawl that involved all 30 players and even saw some home fans attack the away team.

The two teams - Bedarrides and Stade Nicois - compete in Federale 2, the fourth tier of France's rugby pyramid, and were both in the running for promotion going into Sunday's clash.

With tensions running high, a Stade Nicois player threw an opponent to the floor with more force than was necessary, sparking a brawl that would go on for several minutes and see every player get involved.

As chaos ensued, the main bulk of the brawl fell into the main tier and some fans saw fit to get involved. Stade Nicois head coach David Bolgashvili claims his players were subjected to physical abuse from some of the home support.

He told Nice-Matin: 'There was an aggressive tackle by one of our players, but it was fair in the eyes of the referee. The Bedarrides players then started the brawl and we fought like dogs.'

On Bedarrides fans getting involved, Bolgashvili addied: 'There is no safety standard that is respected, there is only one handrail that separates the spectators from the field.

'The gate was open, and spectators ran on to the pitch to strike our players.'

Somehow, the game was able to continue and Bedarrides went on to seal a 26-20 victory, earning five vital points and increasing their chances of promotion.

However, Stade Nicois are hoping to get the result overturned by default after French rugby authorities launched an investigation into the incident.