Raging BULL! Carnage erupts in France as players are forced to FLEE the rampaging animal – after it broke loose when pre-match entertainment went awry in a freak incident ahead of the Catalans Dragons vs St Helens game
- A rampaging bull broke free and charged across the field in a mind-boggling incident
- Animals were on the victory lap for a rugby league match of the Catalan Dragons
- But one temporarily escaped and ran amok, with players fleeing very quickly
Catalans Dragons rugby league players had to take cover after a freak incident unleashed a bull.
France’s Catalans Dragons hosted England team St Helens at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan, southern France, in a Super League clash on Friday night.
Three hefty bulls were paraded around the field in a pre-match lap of honor meant to ‘celebrate the quality of beef in the region’, an idea conceived by Catalan owner Bernard Guasch, the head of a local meat processing plant.
But stunning footage released on social media shows one of the bulls shaking loose from his handler and dragging the unfortunate man across the ground before charging around the field.
Players warming up on the field – many of whom wore red training shirts – quickly abandoned drills and took cover, dropping balls behind them and sprinting to escape.
Dragons Rugby League players had to take cover after a bull came loose in a freak incident
The animal broke free from its companion (right) and dragged the unfortunate man across the field
The bull, one of three to parade around the field in a pre-match lap of honor, charged around
Terrified players – many of whom wore red training tops – ran away from the galloping bull. It finally came to a stop without damage at the Stade Gilbert Brutus in Perpignan
Finally, the animal trotted to the side of the field and slowed down enough for someone to regain control as a singer buzzed over the intercom.
No damage was done, except perhaps some bruised pride and increased heart rate, and the game finally started as intended.
The hosts triumphed 24-12 in what was a rematch of the 2021 grand final, with the French side now fourth in the table after victory, ending their three-match winless run.
Dragons had said before the competition that ‘three prize-winning bulls, as well as two cows of the same Gascon breed, will do a lap of honor during the warm-up’.
And fans quickly took to social media to express their shock over the incident.
One quipped, “Great impact player to bring in #tactics,” with a second adding, “I thought this was really funny for some reason.”
Another simply tweeted: ‘Welcome to Rugby League’, while another continued: ‘Who thought this would be a good idea’, followed by a crying emoji.
A fifth concluded sarcastically: ‘How do we get more people to watch rugby league? Let’s unleash a bull on the field and let the players run for their lives.’
Fans quickly took to social media Twitter (pictured) to express their shock at the incident