RUGBY:Former Irish international and current Toulouse secondrow Trevor Brennan issued a statement last night saying that he regretted the altercation with an Ulster fan that occurred during his side's final Heineken European Cup pool game against Ulster on Sunday.

Brennan, who stepped over the divide that separates the pitch from the team supporters and became involved in a physical dispute, now faces a lengthy ban if he is found to have assaulted the spectator.

The incident has led to the European Rugby Cup (ERC) launching an official investigation into the controversy at Stade Ernest Wallon.

Brennan said that some Ulster fans were being abusive and that beer was thrown at him, but that there was no sectarian element involved prior to the altercation.

The former Leinster player also said that he had the highest regard for Ulster supporters.

"After the problem that occurred during the match that we played against Ulster on Sunday, I would like to give my version of events.

"For this match I was a substitute. Just after half-time, my coach Guy Noves asked me to warm up, which I started to do behind the try line of Ulster," says Brennan.

"Almost as soon, I saw and heard a group of Ulster supporters, arms up, singing 'Brennan your mother is a whore lalalala'. At this stage, I approached this group, who threw beer at me. Some supporters told me not to pay attention to what they were saying. One said: 'I'm sure your mother is not like that'.

"I regret this incident happened, I didn't initiate or provoke it, it was the last thing I would have wished for. I've always respected and I have always been respected by supporters from all teams that I've played against. I've played many times against Ulster before and I've never had any problems with supporters. I would like all supporters to understand my reaction.

"I have the highest regard for all supporters, they are the life blood behind every sport. I met numerous Ulster supporters in the days leading to the match and they were an absolute pleasure to be around.

"I love playing rugby, I love playing for Toulouse and I love the fans. But what I love more, is my family and my mother."

The 33-year-old, capped 13 times for Ireland, said that he felt it was important to give his version of events after it had been suggested in newspapers and on radio discussions that his actions had been prompted by chants and shouts regarding his pub in Toulouse, De Danu.

Brennan has now been advised by club officials in Toulouse not to add any further comment pending the ERC investigation into the incident.

Ulster Rugby also issued a statement calling the whole episode "a disgrace" and claimed that the Toulouse secondrow "physically assaulted a member of the Ulster travelling support".

The statement went on to say that it "condemns Brennan for his actions which have tarnished the game of rugby football".

In what was the second and most robustly worded of their statements since Sunday evening, Ulster confirmed that they will lodge an official report with the ERC today regarding what they refer to as "an unacceptable off-field incident".

"The disgraceful incident occurred when Brennan, who was warming up in front of a section of the Ulster travelling support, which included women and young families, left the playing enclosure, climbed over the pitch hoarding and physically assaulted a member of the Ulster travelling support, Patrick Bamford, aged 25, an accountant originally from Belfast, now living in London," said the statement.

"Following the final whistle Mr Bamford was examined by the Ulster team doctor and Ulster Rugby has since been in contact with Mr Bamford, who has received medical treatment upon his return to London.

"While Ulster Rugby's immediate concern was for the well-being of Mr Bamford, it would now urge the tournament organisers, the ERC, and Stade Toulousain, to take immediate action to resolve this matter and Ulster Rugby condemns Brennan for his actions which have tarnished the game of rugby football.

"Ulster Rugby is entirely confident that the dialogue directed at Brennan was never of a sectarian nature and will be furnishing witness statements to that effect."

The ERC's Disciplinary Officer, Roger O'Connor, has contacted both clubs asking them to supply full details of the incident and has also requested reports from the match officials and broadcasters at the game.

A decision on any misconduct complaints to be brought against players or the clubs involved will be made following this investigation.

Other reports, including that on the BBC website from BBC Northern Ireland journalist Julian Fowler, also claims that there was little provocation from the Ulster fans prior to the fracas.

Fowler says that the man assaulted made a statement to the French police before leaving to fly back to his home in London.

The eyewitness account from the journalist said that a number of Ulster fans had made disparaging comments about the Irishman's premises.

"A number of the Ulster supporters started to chant, 'Your pub's a load of rubbish'. Rubbish wasn't exactly the word they used but it wasn't that much more offensive that that," he said on the BBC website.

"He (Brennan) turned towards the crowd and climbed over a barrier and walked up the steps towards the eighth row where this fan was sitting. There was a sustained, repeated attack and I saw at least half a dozen, if not more, punches. The supporter was just a young fellow with a group of friends and I wouldn't have said that he was in any way drunk or aggressive."

The BBC reporter added that the incident had left the supporter's face bloodied and swollen.

"I also spoke to him at the airport six hours after the incident and he said that he was still in a state of shock. He didn't know why he had been singled out. He watched Brennan come towards him and he actually thought he was going to shake his hand.

"The fan told me that he had made a statement to (French) police after the game but he wasn't sure last night what if any action he was going to take because he was still in a state of shock."

The statement from the Toulouse club said that the club found Brennan's reaction unacceptable but also understandable.

"We're very sorry for the incident that took place during the match, but we've got to say that the staff didn't know about it and was informed of it at the end of the game," said Toulouse.

"It is the first time ever that such an incident has taken place in our stadium. Trevor Brennan is a very generous player, who has always been respected by his opponents and supporters.

"It needed a provocation to make him react in such a way, which is not acceptable but humanly understandable. There are words and behaviour that can hurt people deeply and we ask anyone to take that into account so that such an incident should not happen again in a sport that the virtues of friendship and conviviality are essential.

"Everyone will have to take their responsibilities. There are rules in the ERC regulations and we ask the ERC to conduct their inquiry, especially on the behaviour of a small minority of Ulster supporters. We shall be very careful that the rules of the ERC are implemented with understanding and equity for everybody."

In other recent incidents involving rugby players, Welsh centre Gavin Henson received a 10-week ban for elbowing Alejandro Moreno last December and breaking his nose, while in November South Africa's Jon Smit got a six-week ban for striking France skipper Jerome Thion.

French captain Fabien Pelous was also banned for nine weeks for elbowing Australia's Brendan Cannon, while Munster's Alan Quinlan recently received a six-week ban for a stamping incident.

Ireland's most notorious incident involved former Munster and Irish prop Peter Clohessy, who was banned for 26 weeks in 1996 for stamping on Frenchman Olivier Roumat in Paris.