Dad rushes field to defend 31-year-old rugby star

World Cup player Harinordoquy's father is tackled after rushing onto field during game

Gaizka Iroz / AFP - Getty Images

Rugby?star?Immanol Harinordoquy, center, is tackled by Bayonne's?Sam Gerber, left,?and Dwayne Haare during a French Top 14 rugby union match against?Biarritz on Tuesday.

msnbc.com staff and news service reports

updated 11:23 a.m. ET Nov. 30, 2011

The president of Bayonne rugby club intends to file a complaint against the father of France forward Imanol Harinordoquy for running onto the field to join a fight during a match against bitter rival Biarritz.

Lucien Harinordoquy rushed from the stands and squared up to Bayonne flanker Jean-Jo Marmouyet after his son was involved in an altercation in Tuesday's derby match against Biarritz.

Bayonne flyhalf Benjamin Boyet threw Harinordoquy's 62-year-old bespectacled father to the ground and stood over him with a fist raised, before other players intervened to calm things down as seen in this video clip. Lucien was then escorted away by another player but tried unsuccessfully to return to the field.

Bayonne team manager Christian Gajan was outraged by the actions of Harinordoquy's father.

"I find his behavior deplorable, coming onto the pitch to defend his son by boxing with Marmouyet," Gajan said.

Lucien apologized Wednesday in a statement on Biarritz's website.

"I would like to present my apologies to the fans of Bayonne and Biarritz present, to the two teams and their staff members, to the LNR (French league) and the FFR (French Rugby Federation) and to rugby in general," he said. "Under pressure, and for various reasons, I totally lost control. I regret behaving in this way."

Bayonne president Michel Cacouault called the incident "grotesque," and said he would file a second complaint with the French league against Biarritz for its behavior.

"Bayonne rugby club is shocked by the climate of violence and aggression during the 100th Basque derby," Cacouault said in a statement on the club's website. "Provocations and insults were aimed at the players, but equally (insults) were aimed at the staff and the supporters of the blue and whites."

Imanol Harinordoquy, who can play at flanker or No. 8 and has scored 13 tries in 77 internationals, was one of France's best players during the knockout stages of this year's World Cup. The 31-year old forward inspired his team with a dominant performance against England in the quarterfinals, and played well when France lost to New Zealand in the final.

He didn't comment on the incident.

Reuters and msnbc.com staff contributed to this report.

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More newsGaizka Iroz / AFP - Getty Images

Dad rushes field to defend star

Parents often cheer their children on from the sidelines at sporting events but French rugby star Imanol Harinordoquy's father took his enthusiasm a little too far on Tuesday.

Source: http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/45489113/ns/sports-other_sports/

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