Two professional rugby league players were caught on camera brawling in a town centre with a group of men dressed as Santa Claus in the early hours of Christmas Day.
A court heard Super League players Richard Owen and Ben Blackmore were involved in a clash with a rival group of men dressed in festive costume after one had his Santa hat stolen.
Leeds Crown Court was shown footage of the clash involving six men as those involved were kicked and punch and one ended up with a broken jaw.
Mehran Nessiri, prosecuting, said the two groups fought outside the Big Fella’s nightclub, on Beastfair, Pontefract, after an incident earlier in the evening in the Green Dragon pub.
Castleford Tigers players Owen and Blackmore and their friend Steven Hayes had spoken to a Matthew Laycock, Jonathan Seward and David Stevenson, who were dressed in Santa costumes.
The prosecutor said Stevenson had his hat taken and CCTV footage later showed Owen approaching the entrance to Big Fella’s wearing a Santa hat.
Stevenson’s group followed Owen’s group to the nightclub and the two parties began punching and wrestling with each other outside shortly after midnight last December 25.
Fighting spilled out onto Beastfair and Laycock was punched unconscious in a shop doorway, suffering a broken jaw.
Five of the men pleaded guilty to affray and were given suspended sentences. Owen still faces charges of affray and causing grievous bodily harm and will appear before the court again on November 6.
Blackmore has since moved from Castleford to join the academy at Huddersfield Giants.
Recorder Richard Mansell told him: “You should be ashamed of yourself. You play for a rugby club and will have received warnings about how you should behave in public.”
Blackmoor, 19, of Borrowdale Drive, Castleford, was given a six month suspended sentence and 120 hours unpaid work.
Hayes, 22, of Queens Park Drive, Castleford, was given an eight month suspended sentence and 150 hours unpaid work. Seward, 23, of Weeland Road, Goole, was given a six month suspended sentence, 120 hours unpaid work and told to pay £500 costs. Stevenson, 30, of Baghill Lane, Pontefract, was given a 12 month community order, 100 hours unpaid work told to pay £500 costs. Laycock, 25,of Bird Lane, Hensall, was given a 12 month community order, 80 hours unpaid work and told to pay £500 costs.