In the early days of West Coast Rugby, the two powerhouse clubs who stood head and shoulders above the rest, were the Greymouth Football Club, formed circa 1870, and the Hokitika Football Club, formed in 1882.

When these two teams met, hundreds would attend the fixtures, that were either played at the Camp Reserve or Victoria Park in Greymouth, or Cass Square in Hokitika, with players and their supporters alike, travelling between the two towns for these eagerly contested encounters. 

When the two teams met at Cass Square in Hokitika on Saturday July 2nd, 1898, expectations were high for a typically enthralling match between the two close rivals, with the Hokitika side and supporters, looking to avenge a 17-11 loss in Greymouth, earlier in the season. That match that was marred by multiple acts of foul and violent play, with the home side described as being the main aggressor, so both clubs and West Coast Rugby Union officials, were hoping for a more sedate encounter this time. 

The special train carrying the Greymouth team and their supporters arrived at the Hokitika train station at 3.00pm, to a day that weather wise, despite several days of rain, proved favourable for a good game of rugby, though the effects of the rain were still evident on the Cass Square surface.

The teams took the field a mere 20 minutes after the train arrived, at 3.20pm, in front of a large crowd numbering upwards of 500 spectators, that were predominately from the Hokitika area, and barracking for their side, that wore their jerseys of red and black stripes. 

David "Johnny" Evans, of Hokitika, refereed the match, and following his coin toss that the visitors won, the Greymouth side adorned in their red and white striped jersey's, chose to play what was described as "downfield". 

The July 4th, West Coast Times match report on the game, stated that the first half was a "hotly contested spell" and that the while the game was open and fast, the balance of play was in favour of the visitors, "who came within an ace of scoring on a number of occasions", with their back play being described as something approaching brilliant at times. 

Despite the attacking promise from the visitors, the home side defence managed to keep the Greymouth club at bay, and on the occasions that Hokitika did threaten the Greymouth end of the field, their attack was described as "always being indecisive, with the ball immediately ending up in their own half of the field again". 

Although there were flashes of attacking back play from the Greymouth team, the game was mostly confined to a series of loose forward rushes, which suited the Hokitika style of play best, as this let their superior forwards utilise their strengths. So, with one side playing having the better in the back play, and the other in the forwards, when half time was called, there was a 0-0 stalemate, with all to play for in the second spell. 

The second spell got underway, with Hokitika looking the better of the teams, with the Greymouth side not attacking as freely as they had been in the first half, and the home side able to repel any attacks when called upon.

With 60 minutes in the match gone and game still deadlocked at 0-0, the Greymouth side had a scrum on the Hokitika 25-yard line, and while the majority of the players were following the ball once it had exited the scrum, two opposing forwards, Alex "Hughie" Eastgate from Hokitika and Arthur Francis, from Greymouth, were locked together, brawling on the ground. 

Referee Evans stopped the game, 30 seconds after the tussle had begun, but before he had a chance to separate the two warring players, the Grey River Argus report from the match stated,  "a man (said to be Eastgate's brother) who was watching the game, rushed onto the field without his coat, evidently with the intention of taking his brother’s part". 

The Argus would then go on to report the following, from the shameful events that ensued at Cass Square that day. "Then an indescribable scene occurred. The public rushed onto the field, surrounding the players. There was a surging mass of 300 or 400 people, with the footballers scattered amongst them". "Many blows were struck, while several fights were prevented only with much difficulty". 

The West Coast Times also reported that, "Blows were struck right and left by excited spectators, many of whom were completely carried away by their feelings. There was a seething mass and a din of confusion, which completely drowned out the shrill whistle of the referee, which ordinarily commands order. Finally, matters quieted somewhat, and an opportunity was offered to order the offending players off the ground, but the public could not be controlled, and in excited groups, they remained by the field of play, haranguing one another in a most resultless manner".

Referee Evans found it impossible to restore order and clear the field within a reasonable time, and despite the help of police and members of the public, were unable to clear the ground, so he was forced to announce "No side," and terminated the game, a full 20 minutes early.

Even after the match there was still extensive turmoil at the changing rooms, and it was only down to the presence of the police that further chaos didn't ensue. The West Coast Times reported that even up to a couple of hours later, that young agitators were still trying to cause trouble, stating "when the visitors departed by train, some of the Hokitika boys and youths made themselves ridiculous by attempting to renew the previous wild scene, hooting and jeering at nobody in particular in a manner that was almost unmannerly, not to say cowardly".

Following the match, the referee expressed his intention to report the matter to the West Coast Rugby Union, including the two players that caused the initial "disturbance" as well as two members of the public, one a young lad who struck a player, and another spectator for attempting to strike a player on the ground.

The Grey River Argus criticised the home supporters, stating, "The Hokitika public must bear much of the blame for this unpleasant state of affairs. Had they not rushed onto the field as they did, the expulsion of the two offending players would likely have put an end to the incident".

The West Coast Times stated "the public, who particularly at football matches, are usually prone to the widest use of their privilege of free speech, were on this occasion even more dictatorial and wished to settle the difficulty according to their own lights, which were mostly one-sided. As far as can be learned, some Hokitika barrackers were the first to break the ropes, and once this happened, a crowd of mixed supporters rushed in, with the result already described".

It seems, that up until the disgraceful scenes that began in the 60th minute, the game had been played in generally in good spirits, with no obvious reports of incidences of foul play, and although both sides had been cautioned in the match, if the public had not entered the field of play and let the referee Evans do his job, the match would have continued in the relatively friendly manner in which it had been played in up until that point. 

On July 13th at a meeting of the West Coast Rugby Union at the Post Office Hotel in Greymouth, referee Evans submitted his match report, stating that hat he had ordered Francis (Greymouth) and Eastgate (Hokitika) off the field for misconduct and had also reported two spectators for interfering.

Union officials decided to suspend the offenders until the next meeting, and would also write to referee Evans, requesting further details.

At that August 18th meeting held at the Albion Hotel in Greymouth, Union official Mr Walton, moved and Mr Burke seconded, that a letter be sent to the offending players Francis and Eastgate, cautioning them that in the event of another offence, they would be disqualified for 12 months.

Fellow Union official, Mr McKay, disagreed, stating "it would not do to let the players off lightly". W.C.R.U chair, Mr Thompson, then moved that the players be disqualified for 12 months from the date. It seemed to him that the members were evidently afraid to do their duty and disqualify the men, and said "The Union was in a ridiculous position and the laughing stock of the whole colony, as reports of the match had appeared in newspapers across the colony as well as in Australia".

Union secretary Mr Wickes, seconded and said "the Union must support the referee", but the Union officials voted 5-4 against the 12-month suspension, which lead Union chairman to state "that members were evidently barracking for their respective clubs".

He then urged them to act in a straightforward manner and without any party bias, otherwise, football would "degenerate", as "the Union should act for the benefit of football as a game and not for individual players".

After much discussion, Mr Benjamin moved a further amendment that the offending players be disqualified until the end of the season, Mr Wells seconded and this was eventually carried unanimously.

Mr Wells then moved that the two spectators complained of by the referee, for interfering in the game, Messrs P. Oliver and J. Leslie, be refused admittance to any ground under the Union for the remainder of the season. Mr Phillips seconded, and this motion was also carried.

It was then decided that the official result of the Hokitika v Greymouth match be declared a draw, on the motion of Mr Wells. This was seconded by Mr McKay, with Mr Burke voting against it, stating that Hokitika would appeal to the New Zealand Rugby Union.

At a September 5th meeting of the New Zealand Rugby Union, the letter regarding the Hokitka club's appeal on the 0-0 result was tabled, and after some discussion, was referred back to the writers to ascertain whether the ball was dead when the referee stopped the game.

The NZRFU committee further resolved that if the ball was dead, the referee acted rightly, and that the other questions in the letter did not come within the jurisdiction of the Appeal Committee, but must be settled by the West Coast Union.

While no subsequent newspaper reports on the outcome of the Hokitika club's appeal can be found, the record books state that the Greymouth Club were deemed West Coast Senior club champions in 1898.

Had the shameful events at Cass Square on that winter's day in July 1898 not occurred, and the match had been played to its natural conclusion without spectator interference, the Hokitika club, had they emerged victorious, might well have been crowned champions of the 1898 season.

Instead, they may have been left to rue the actions of some of their own supporters, whose involvement ultimately denied them the chance at glory.