Following the appearance of offensive videos online last weekend that showed fights between Hull KR and Red Vee supporters, St Helens has issued a statement criticising the conduct of their supporters.
Hull KR ran wild at Craven Park, handily defeating Saints in one of their worst losses in recent memory. The Robins’ 40–20 victory solidified their place in the Super League this season.
It was a wasted chance for St Helens to top the table, and for a few supporters, it got to the point where they started fighting with stewards and home team supporters.
Videos of the incident quickly surfaced online, showing stewards having to separate a small group of St Helens supporters from a smaller group of Hull KR supporters while objects were thrown between the two fan bases.
St Helens has now responded to the crowd issues that tragically marred what could have been an incredible day for rugby league. The game was completely sold out for both home and away fans, and the action lived up to the hype.
St Helens lay down the law after fan trouble footage emerges
Although the RFL had previously informed Serious About Rugby League that it would be looking into the incidents and had asked both clubs for private statements, the Saints have also released a statement to the public.
St Helens reaffirmed their “zero-tolerance approach to any anti-social behaviour” in a post on their club website.
The official statement said: “We at St Helens R.F.C. would like to reaffirm that anti-social behaviour is not tolerated in our club.
“The Club always hopes that everyone who attends our games can do so in a welcoming and safe atmosphere, whether at our home stadium, the Totally Wicked Stadium, or at other locations.”
The club released the following statement regarding the incident from last week: “The support that the Saints have had for the early stages of the 2024 season has been brilliant, with big numbers of travelling fans going to each of our away fixtures so far, such as our sold-out away allocation at Hull KR last Saturday, or 1,200 fans travelling to the South of France. All those associated with St. Helens are deeply grateful for the outstanding support shown to the team, and the players themselves are the most grateful.
But after Saturday’s Round 10 game, a very tiny percentage of people have regrettably let the Club and our supporters down by engaging in antisocial behaviour. This not only costs the Club money in fines and penalties, but it also doesn’t foster the welcoming and safe atmosphere that we want all of our fans to experience.
“We have issued a number of banning orders to individuals who will not be permitted at our home or other rugby league grounds due to their anti-social behaviour. The Club will not permit our fans’ matchday experiences to be impacted by the actions of a small minority.
“Misbehaviours that will not be tolerated include, but are not limited to, abusive verbal or physical behaviour, violent behaviour, throwing missiles, abusing drugs or alcohol excessively. Furthermore, it is strictly forbidden by football and rugby ground regulations to use pyrotechnics. They can injure spectators and the person carrying them seriously. They can also destroy surfaces like the playing field, costing clubs thousands of pounds in repairs.
The statement concluded, “In closing, St.Helens R.F.C. would like to reaffirm the large majority of our fanbase continues to be excellent supporters, and your ongoing cooperation is greatly appreciated.” St. Helens would then, and rightfully, highlight the vast majority of excellent fans that they have.
St Helens correctly pointed out that a small percentage of fans spoil events for everyone else, and the team deserves praise for acting quickly to remove offending individuals and issue bans to those who are directly responsible.
