A village council in Samoa has forced a Catholic school on Savai'i to close down temporarily after a fight erupted during a rugby match with a rival college.
The decision follows a fight between students from the Ulimasao Marist Centre in Vailoa Palauli and Wesleyan College.
A school bus was seriously damaged and a pastor and several students from Wesleyan were hospitalised as a result of the fight.
The Director of Education for Catholic schools in Samoa, A'eau Chris Hazelman, says the decision to close the school has been agreed by the village council and the school principal
He says this is to ensure the safety of all students.
The Director says police have been asked to investigate the incident.
A matai of Vailoa Palauli, Toluono Pene, says the school's involvement in the fight has damaged the village's reputation.
