Rugby icon preventing for all times after drive-by taking pictures in his entrance backyard
A rugby icon is fighting for his life in hospital after being shot multiple times in a suspected drive-by ambush in the front garden of his home as police search for the shooters
Rugby icon Matt Utai has been shot(Image: Getty)
Former National Rugby League star Matt Utai is battling for his life in hospital after being shot several times. The attack is believed to have occurred in his front garden, with officers treating the incident as an ambush without any apparent motive.
Utai, who played internationally for both New Zealand and Samoa, was a member of the Canterbury Bulldogs squad that claimed the 2004 championship. He has sustained serious leg injuries following the shooting, which happened in Greenacre, western Sydney.
A police statement revealed: “About 6am today, emergency services were called to Macquarie Street, Greenacre, following reports of a public place shooting. Officers attached to Bankstown Police Area Command attended and were told a man had been shot outside a home by the occupants of an SUV before it drove away.
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“The man – aged 44 – was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for multiple gunshot wounds before being taken to hospital in a serious condition.
“A short time later police were called to Samuel Street, Wiley Park, following reports of a car fire. Police attended and found an SUV well alight.”
It added: “The fire was extinguished by Fire and Rescue NSW and the car was seized for forensic examination. Police have established crime scenes at both locations with Bankstown detectives commencing an investigation and treating both incidents as linked.”
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Meanwhile, NSW police superintendent Rodney Hart stated: “The person that is currently in hospital … is known to police but he has no criminal history… We have seen fire bombings and shootings.”
“At this point in time, it is early in the investigation, so investigators need to link those parts together to identify if this certain shooting is linked to any other organised crime or recent activity in Sydney.”
Utai was a much-admired rugby player during his career, with Canterbury expressing their thoughts for their former player in a statement. The rugby team said: “Matt is a beloved part of the Bulldogs family. He played 127 first-grade games for the club and was instrumental in the 2004 premiership.
“Our thoughts are with Matt and his family during this extremely difficult time. We are hoping and praying for his full recovery.”
Whilst ex-team-mate Reni Maitua said: “We’ve all stayed in contact through our WhatsApp group and kept updated on his condition through a close friend of Matt’s. We, as a group, love Matty and hope he makes a full recovery. Whatever has transpired for this to happen, we hope it is resolved peacefully.”
