the gangs of New Zealand
Be sure to pack protection when attending rugby matches in New Zealand, there’s more to fear than the throat slitting Kapa o Pango haka, because the gangs are on the warpath and their weapon of choice is a shotgun.
Today’s Herald is carrying a story about a Mongrel Mob shooting at a rugby crowd in Wairoa, a small North Island town between Napier and Gisborne.
Police say it was a miracle nobody was hurt or killed when a Mongrel Mob member fired a shotgun into a crowd after a rugby match at Wairoa on Saturday.
The incident happened about 4.30pm after a rugby game attended by a large number of Black Power members, who were supporting a team from Raupunga that played Wairoa-based team Tapuwai, Detective Sergeant John McCarthy told NZPA.
After the game a white ute appeared in the area, with about six Mongrel Mob members and associates on the back, Mr McCarthy said.
Two of the bigger gang members then jumped off and chased a 15-year-old boy.
After the gang members were restrained by people from the crowd a third person on the back of the ute fired four to five shotgun rounds in the air and into the crowd, he said.
“It was a miracle no one was hurt.”
Mr McCarthy said it was another cowardly gang shooting in Wairoa.
“Enough is enough,” he said…. read the rest of the story here
Gang warfare is nothing new in New Zealand. According to the book Gangs by Ross Kemp, New Zealand has more gangs per head then any other country in the world, with about seventy major gangs and over 4,000 patched members in a population of about 4,000,000 people.
The rivalry between Mongrel Mob and Black Power is as old as the hills, mostly people know to stay well away. Gang members are easily recognised by their Colours – red with black for the Mongrel Mob, Black Power‘s is black and blue, Killer Beez (mostly in Auckland) black and yellow. This list is long but you’ve probably got the point by now.
However, it’s not so easy to give these ganstas wide berth when guns are fired at rugby supporters and errant teens are hunted down in public places.
Will NZ security guards and police be able to contain this sort of activity after world cup matches and should fans be warned about wearing certain colours of supporters shirt in some areas. Who wants to get bashed for wearing red in the wrong town? Read Four year old attacked for wearing red shirt
Our advice to fans travelling to New Zealand is to pack some neutral clothes and keep your head down, better still watch it on TV with your mates.
For more about the gangs read our blogs tagged Gangs of New Zealand,.
You may also be interested in:
Gang patches
Service Station Shooting In Wairoa – Police Out As Gangs Clash
“Yesterday a middle aged man was shot in the back as he filled-up at a service station in Wairoa, what makes the crime particularly disturbing is that it happened during a busy time of day and other people could’ve been hurt or killed in the attack.
A RadioNZ report said it was only a matter of time before someone got killed and that…” read on
E2NZ.org 
another nice beatup of 2 related incidents in the same town that are 1 offs. I actually can’t recall the last time I felt threatened in public by gang members, they hardly ever crossover their intimidation to everyday folk.
Honki, is there another definition for everday folk, besides the sort that frequents petrol stations and rugby matches, that we’re unaware of?
Fortunately for the everyday folk of Wairoa they have decided that enough is enough and they want to put an end to the violence in their small town.
They have organised a Reclaiming Wairoa march on 10 September, perhaps you’d like to go along and lend your support.