A man has appeared in court after an attack on a spectator at an under-13 rugby match south of Auckland which left the victim unconscious in a pool of blood.
The 29-year-old from Port Waikato appeared in Pukekohe District Court charged with wounding with intent to injure following the August 1 attack on Frank Waters, the Franklin County News reported.
The alleged offender was granted bail and will reappear on August 26.
Mr Waters, from Papakura, was watching his son's Karaka under-13 match against Tuakau on the Tuakau Rugby grounds, south of Pukekohe, when the attack occurred.
He suffered a gash to the forehead which required 12 stitches and was left nursing a swollen eye socket, sore jaw, sore neck and sore throat.
"I'm quite scared of what might have happened to my brain," Mr Waters told the newspaper.
"As far as I'm concerned he was trying to kill me." Mr Waters said the confrontation started when a man came up to him and "very aggressively said I shouldn't be there".
He said he turned to walk away but was hit from the side and knocked to the ground.
Mr Waters said he was not angry at the Tuakau club.
"I'm just trying to get on with my life," he said. "It was one nutter." Tuakau Junior Rugby Club president George Murray, the coach of the Tuakau under-13 team, said he did not see the incident but was disappointed to hear of it.
He said it was possible the rugby union may change spectator rules following the incident.
