‘Brutal’ mass stabbing breaks out at a rugby league match in Sydney’s west – with three men taken to hospital as attackers flee the scene
Three men have been stabbed at the end of a rugby league match – leaving two in a critical condition – after players reportedly started brawling with knives in the car park.
Police said they were called to Old Saleyards Reserve on Gladstone Street, North Parramatta in western Sydney after reports of an assault just after 11.20am on Sunday.
Several men fled the scene after the stabbing, a New South Wales Police spokesman said.
The attack followed an under-20s game between Penrith Brothers and Wentworthville and internal NRL emails are reported to state the brawl happened in a car park.
A witness said moments after the game had ended players ran to their cars and sparked the wild brawl.
Two men are in a critical condition in hospital after a stabbing attack in North Parramatta in Sydney’s west on Sunday
‘Further information from Penrith Junior League officials suggests that there was a fight in a car park after the game. It appears that two men may have stabbed three Wenty players,’ an email seen by The Daily Telegraph said.
NSW Ambulance said paramedics treated an 18-year-old man for a stab wound to his neck and a 22-year-old man for a stab wound to the torso and both were taken to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition.
A third man who has been taken to the same hospital was treated for wounds to his arms and is in a stable condition.
NSW Ambulance’s Duty Operations Manager Nathan Sheraton called the attacks ‘brutal’.
‘Wounds like this can cause an extensive amount of damage and often we can see the extent of damage done – so it is very concerning whenever we are called to jobs like this,’ he said.
‘Our paramedics did an exceptional job in providing life-saving treatment for the patients.’
‘Unfortunately we have two men who are in a critical condition and will continue to undergo treatment in hospital.’
The New South Wales Rugby League is investigating the incident and it is not known if those involved were players or fans.
Club officials are scheduled to speak with NSWRL chief executive David Trodden at 3pm to discuss the stabbing.
More to come