Moment panicking cops stand back-to-back and pull out pepper spray as Tongan footy fans party hard outside a Bunnings in Sydney after their team’s World Cup win
Tongan footy fans were out celebrating thumping rugby league World Cup win
Footage emerged on TikTok where supporters left NSW Police in a state of panic
Bunnings carpark at Villawood was a sea of red following win over Cook Islands
In a TikTok clip, one officer pulled out some pepper spray as she felt intimidated
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Wild footage has emerged of police in a state of panic outside a Bunnings in Sydney’s west as Tongan footy fans celebrated their team’s huge win at the Rugby League World Cup on Monday.
As the situation threatened to escalate in the eyes of the law, an officer pulled out pepper spray in a bid to control the energetic crowd, who were out in force hours after Tonga’s thumping 92-10 victory over the Cook Islands.
A clip uploaded to TikTok from the Bunnings car park at the scene has attracted over 250,000 views online.
The footage – from Villawood in western Sydney – shows a sea of red as eager fans toasting the emphatic result on Monday night.
The Tongan fans were in good spirits, singing and chanting as their Mate Ma’a heroes sealed a spot in the quarter-finals in the United Kingdom.
NSW Police confirmed to Daily Mail Australia on Thursday there were no arrests and the crowd were compliant and ‘dispersed peacefully’ from the scene.
Footage has emerged of NSW Police using pepper spray outside a Bunnings in Sydney’s west on Monday night following Tonga’s win against the Cook Islands from the Rugby League World Cup in the UK hours earlier
‘About 8.50pm on Monday 31 October 2022, officers from Fairfield City Police Area Command were called to a hardware store on Tangerine and Woodville Roads, Villawood, following reports of a large group of people outside the building,’ a statement read.
‘Local police – with the assistance of the Public Order and Riot Squad, Traffic and Highway Patrol Command and Liverpool City Police Area Command – attended and commenced dispersing the crowd.
‘Following initial resistance to police requests, the crowd later complied and dispersed peacefully about 10pm.
‘Police have received no reports of injury.’
While many social media users found the TikTok footage amusing, some felt the police at the scene shouldn’t have felt intimidated.
‘Love this, but I feel sorry for these cops, they are doing their job,’ one wrote.
Another suggested the fans find ‘public places like parks and beaches for future meet ups.’
Tongan footy fans were in high spirits after they thumped the Cook Islands 92-10 on Monday in the Rugby League World Cup (pictured, a supporter loving life hours after the final whistle)
In the video, a handful of police can be initially seen keeping their eye on the crowd as they sung in unison.
When a DJ fired up the footy fans – who were clearly in the mood to celebrate – a female officer could be seen telling the supporters to back away.
She then pulled out her pepper spray as the police collectively retreated.
Tonga’s commanding victory was their biggest ever on the international stage, surpassing their previous largest winning margin of 64 points.
Parramatta star Will Penisini finished with four tries to his name in the rout, with Broncos utility Tesi Niu bagging a hat-trick.
Kristian Woolf’s side remain unbeaten, with further pool wins over Papua New Guinea and Wales.
Fierce rivals Samoa await on Monday morning (1.30am AEST), with the winner to progress to the semi-finals.