Watch: Wallaby Lukhan Tui clashes with fan after his side loss
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Wallabies flanker Lukhan Tui was involved in an altercation with a fan after the Wallabies 19-23 loss to Argentina on Saturday.
Tui had been chatting with family and friends in the stands when he was verbally abused by a fan.
Woah. Understand frustration from wallabies fans, but no room for this. Ugly at the Gold Coast. Push and shove between fans and players pic.twitter.com/rIduG6ajgj
— Chris Dutton (@BlockaDutton) September 15, 2018
Footage shows Tui and the man confronting one another and it has been revealed that the man pushed the Australian back-rower's sister in the lead-up to the incident.
A Rugby Australia spokesperson said the matter was being investigated and that while police did not arrest the man involved.
Tui's stepfather passed away suddenly on Wednesday and after an emotional week for Tui, Michael Cheika said his player wanted some time away from the game.
"[It got] to a point where the player is in the dressing room [saying] he’s not going to be playing anymore because of that incident," Cheika said. "I hope the fan is happy.
When asked to clarify what Tui had said, Cheika replied: "He’s not going to play and he needs a rest. That’s a pretty heavy thing to happen. He just said it in the dressing room to players now off the back of a very difficult dressing room. It’s not what you want to have."
Cheika said the fan overstepped the mark and that he could understand why Tui got so upset.
"I don’t think that’s appropriate that that happened," Cheika said. "I get the discontent and you own that; words, abuse comes sometimes, that’s the way it is. You have to suck it up when you don’t play well and own that. He pushed the younger sister and Lukhan didn’t like that and that’s fair enough considering everything that’s happened to him this week.
"You shouldn’t be pushing a kid in the crowd."
"The player has said in the dressing room that he won't be playing anymore, so I hope that fan is happy." 😳
— Sky Sports Rugby (@SkySportsRugby) September 15, 2018
Michael Cheika defends Lukhan Tui after he was involved in an altercation with a fan after the @qantaswallabies' defeat to @unionargentina. 👊💥https://t.co/kTZvuV2PJN pic.twitter.com/CwIPwKJO5P
Story via: www.smh.com.au