The drinking culture at Welsh international rugby matches is once again in the spotlight, following claims that a six-year-old from Gwent was vomited on as he attended his first ever game.

Wales secured a dramatic last gasp win in an eventful encounter against Australia at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium yesterday (Saturday, November 20), but for the Delaney family from Chepstow, their experience was marred by crowd behaviour.

Not only had the tickets been bought as a birthday present, the day was meant to be twice as special, as it was the first game that six-year-old Joey had ever attended.

Unfortunately, their experienced was soured when a man seated behind them was sick, down the back of the youngster.

Speaking to the Argus, mum Sophie Delaney said: “Midway through the first half, we had a drink spilled down the back of us, down our back and under our seats.

“So many people were going back and forth with drinks, but I was trying to pay attention to my child and the game, so I wasn’t paying too much attention at first. Everyone around us was happy and merry and enjoying themselves, but the man sat behind us was literally slumped over.

“The tickets were bought for my husband’s 40th birthday from my family and we were all so excited for such an amazing day. However, Joey’s experience was nearly ruined by the guy sat behind us, who was so drunk, he vomited all down the back of our son, all over the floor behind us and all down the back of my coat.

“My son’s coat, Wales hat, scarf and seat were covered in this man’s sick. He was so upset and shocked, he cried so much - I had to stop myself from crying from seeing my son so upset and from the absolute shock of it all.”

It comes at the end of the tumultuous month at the stadium.

The Wales vs South Africa game was marred by a pitch invader, and reports of drunken antics in the stands, so much so that the stadium was dubbed "the world's biggest pub" by a leading figure in the game.

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What happened next?

For many, the experience would have been completely ruined.

But for the Delaney family, the day was saved by two things – the resilience of youth, and the support received by the Welsh rugby community.

In the aftermath of the ordeal, fellow fans seated nearby rushed to offer their help and support.

Mrs Delaney said: “The man couldn’t even speak, and though his friend tried to apologise, my husband asked them to leave.

“Joey was extremely upset, but everyone around us was so amazing. People saw what had happened and gave us tissues, scarves and hand gel. One man seated 10 rows back saw it happen and came and gave us a flag.

“There was a resounding feeling of how awful that was for our son to experience in what should have been such an amazing experience overall.

“Everyone else that we encountered throughout the day - the police lady outside who saw how excited he was and was chatting to him, the guy that let us through the barrier to make sure we got Joey on the train home, the guy that made sure he got a seat on the train, the people on the train and coming out of the station making sure that Joey got through the crowds safely.

 “Ninety-eight per cent of people throughout the day were so amazing at making sure our son felt safe and enjoyed the experience.

“Luckily, Joey’s been as good as gold today. He’s only spoken about the good parts of the day.”

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Mrs Delaney also said that stadium staff were able to offer assistance and help them move to clean seats.

However, she said that this help only came after staff were approached, and that the initial commotion was not dealt with.

Fortunately, she revealed that it would not prevent them from taking young Joey to another game in future.

She said: “It definitely won’t stop us. We would like to take him to another game, and sooner rather than later.

“We want him to experience what it should be like, and we’ll do the same with his sister when she’s old enough. We’ve since heard that there are some sections that are more family friendly, so that is something that we might consider.

“I just don’t want something like this to happen to other children in future.”

The Welsh Rugby Union has been contacted for comment.