Mass punch-up at Royal Navy rugby match with French Navy

An annual rugby match between the Royal Navy and the French navy descended into open warfare as players traded blows in a mass punch-up.

Footage of the brawl was posted online following the incident during the game in the southern French city of Toulon on Wednesday night.

Booing and cat calls from the crowd can be heard while the players in the grey of the Royal Navy and the blue of the Marine Nationale repeatedly trade blows on the field.

The footage was uploaded onto YouTube by Zachayus Production TV.

Match officials, coaching staff and substitutes are seen racing onto the field to attempt to quell the violence before order is eventually restored.

It remains unclear what sparked the brawl.

A spokesperson for the Royal Navy played down the incident and told the Daily Telegraph relations between the two teams improved after the final whistle.

The annual match between the two military powers began in 2005 and is known as 'Le Crunch'.

The French side went on to claim a 28-6 victory.