Ugly brawl mars navy rugby match

England and France have a long history of naval combat from the Hundred Years of War to the famous Battle of Trafalgar.

And now it’s extended to the sports pitch after a nasty all-in brawl during a navy rugby game.

Playing in a match in Toulon, the long-standing rivalry between the French Marine Nationale and Royal Navy boiled over with virtually every player on the field trading blows.

The melee initially began with a scrum-like brawl before splintering into a series of one-on-one fights and group stoushes.

Players chased after one another with several coward blows landed on combatants from behind with the referee and linesmen seemingly powerless to intervene.

Such was the intensity, even substitutes ran onto the field to join the fray before officials from both teams were eventually able to quell the violence.

While it's not known what triggered the brawl, it's fair to say a long history of mutual hatred played a part.

Either way it seems some players deserve a stint in the brig.