It was once said that rugby is a hooligan’s game played by gentlemen but never was anything said about the spectators. Sad scenes were at the finals of the secondary school rugby championship final when stones were thrown and supporters rushed into the field to beat up the referee.

Young children were hurt and police had to step in to ensure protection for the referee.

A senior sports journalist at the game remarked that the scenes were similar to a rugby league game in Papua New Guinea. It was not the players who instigated the fight, but the adults.

These certainly aren't displays of sportsmanship. As fans, we attend these events to enjoy the contest and cheer for our team, not to become part of the story.

Fan and player safety is at stake. Cooler heads must prevail.

Professional athletes can help, too. They should remember that they are role models. Was this behaviour acceptable?

On or off the field of play, everyone has a responsibility to show good sportsmanship and foster a safe environment for both fans and athletes.

The violence from fans at sports venues is becoming too common. Not too long ago, a man threatened to use his gun after an altercation following a club rugby final. Where has the fans' sportsmanship gone?

We’ve noticed an alarming trend recently, one that’s left many wondering what happened to “love thy neighbour,” “treat others as you wish to be treated” and “judge not lest ye be judged.”

What we’ve been hearing while covering games has left us disheartened and disappointed. This negative, destructive vibe permeating the stands needs an attitude adjustment.

Good sportsmanship is an individual responsibility and spectator behaviour should represent respect for the opponent, their spectators, coaches and the game official — as well as your school and its representatives.

The athletes who were in the finals were rivals of opposing teams; they were not enemies. Aggressive or threatening behaviour from spectators or any other inappropriate activity at the game could lead to possible prosecution from law enforcement personnel.

The behaviour that is seen at various sports games is reflective of the behaviour taught at home. If people at home are taught to be gracious in defeat and have good sportsmanship, then this will be reflected in the way they behave at games.

To think that students and parents from one of the so-called prestigious schools in Samoa behaved in a manner that showed no regard for rules, regulations, and the safety of people at the venue is a lot to say.

This is also reflective of the culture of violence that persists in the society. The violence that is in the homes overflows in the field because there are no other means of conflict resolution but resorting to violence.

Another idiom that has become a cliché is “Charity begins at home.” It sure does, if any of those spectators who rushed the field were taught any better at home, they would not have resorted to the behaviour that we saw. The team from Savaii won and instead of honouring their win, the young players, some who would be future Manu Samoa reps had stones thrown at their bus. An act that is despicable and shows cowardice.

The organisers cannot be blamed for this as games have been held at the same venue for years neither can the game officials. Whatever the thought maybe from the stands, the game official is the one controlling the game and despite the decisions he makes, he is trained to do so. As spectators, we feel that we know better, that maybe the case but we need to have sportsmanship as fans.

Fight a fair fight, shake the hands of your competitor regardless of whether or not you won the fight, and don’t talk negativities behind their back.

The training for children when it comes to sports and games is more than just physical. It also involves ethics and the values we got from our parents and their parents’ parents. The ethics and sportsmanship are more than just kindness - it’s a culture that we do not intend to come up. It just does naturally.

We were taught to be “sports” and good competitors when we were young, and that’s very important that we stick to what we have been taught.

All schools should teach this motto when it comes to sports: “Modest in victory, gracious in defeat.”