Fagalima Faumui (insert) assaulted the referee at the Southwell Park playing fields in Lyneham (main image). Photos: Albert McKnight/Tim Gavel.
A violent assault on a rugby field may have driven out some younger referees after their experienced colleague was knocked unconscious by a ‘coward punch’ at a Canberra game.
The ACT Magistrates Court heard that Fagalima Faumui took his family to the Southwell Park playing fields in Lyneham around 3 pm on 21 September 2025 to watch an under-14s rugby game.
Some tension developed among spectators and a young referee was verbally abused after he gave a player a red card.
The victim in the case and his friend had been working as sideline referees, but decided to walk onto the field to support their younger colleague.
The court heard Faumui’s then-18-year-old son, Daniel Fagalimafaumui, came onto the field and pushed the friend to the ground.
The victim was bending over to help his friend when Faumui approached him from behind and punched him in the head, knocking him unconscious.
Faumui, 43, faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Tuesday (7 July) and pleaded guilty to a charge of assault, while the other two charges against him were withdrawn.
The victim, in a statement read to the court, said he had no feelings of ill-will towards Faumui, whom he had never met.
He said he was proud of playing for a rugby club when younger and enjoyed refereeing rugby union, as he felt it was a way to give back to the game he loved.
“I really enjoy refereeing young people; they are the future of the game,” he said.
He said he didn’t remember getting hit, but was worried about what everyone else saw.
“I also think about those young girls and boys who witnessed this at the tournament. What must they be thinking?” he said.
Fagalima Faumui (right) gestures to the media after leaving the ACT Courts with his son Daniel Fagalimafaumui (centre) in 2025. Photo: Albert McKnight.
The court heard that four young referees had witnessed the assault at the game, and none of them had returned to referee the following season.
Faumui’s lawyer, Duncan Errey of Legal Aid, said the father-of-eight worked as a bus driver and felt “ashamed and remorseful for his actions”.
He argued his client didn’t know his victim was a referee at the time and he claimed to have seen his son grabbed by the victim and his friend.
“He thought he was stepping in to protect his son,” Mr Errey said.
“He didn’t realise his son was essentially the instigator of the incident.”
Prosecutor Isabelle Mahon disagreed with these claims, arguing it was clear from the facts of the case that the victim and his friend were there as referees.
She said the court could infer the assault took place in front of children and families as it was an under-14s game, and she argued the consequences of “coward punches” like this were often far worse.
Magistrate Jane Campbell said there was no suggestion the victim ever grabbed Faumui’s son. She noted he also told the author of a court report he hadn’t punched his victim, describing it as a slap.
“It seems to be that he is truly minimising this offence,” she said.
While Magistrate Campbell didn’t accept that Faumui thought his son was under attack, she did accept it was possible he didn’t know his victim was a sideline referee at the time of the assault.
He was convicted, fined $600 and placed on a 12-month good behaviour order.
Faumui’s son, Daniel Fagalimafaumui, was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month good behaviour order over his role in the incident earlier this year.