A Canterbury rugby club has suspended its season after a collision on Greendale Road in Darfield injured multiple players from the BDI team on Saturday evening.
A van carrying BDI players collided with another vehicle around 6pm. Emergency services dispatched 6 ambulances and 2 critical-care units to the scene in the Selwyn district.
Paramedics treated 13 people at the scene, with injuries from minor to critical. Ten people were transported to Christchurch Hospital. Police closed Greendale Road while the Serious Crash Unit examined the scene.
BDI Division 2 coach Steve Devereaux announced via social media the team would not continue play while members recover. "As a team, we have made the tough decision to end our season," Devereaux said. "We finished the season strongly leading into the finals."
The crash occurred hours after BDI's Division 2 side defeated Kirwee 48-29, a result that placed them third on the competition ladder. BDI combines the former Burnham, Dunsandel and Irwell clubs, competing in the Ellesmere sub-union.
"Rugby is the game we love, but it's the mateship that truly binds us together," Devereaux said. "We will regroup, we will heal and we will come back strong in 2027."