Rugby supporters are much more likely to be aggressive after watching their team win or draw, a study has found.
Cardiff University researchers questioned 197 male rugby fans as they passed through the main entrance of the city's Millennium Stadium.
Of these, 111 were questioned as they entered the stadium and 86 as they left.
They found that those who had watched their team win or draw were much more aggressive than those who had seen their club loose.
According to the study, more aggressive fans planned to drink more alcohol after the game.
Simon Moore, Cardiff University: "It appears that aggression, not celebration, determined how much spectators planned to drink after the match."
Lead researcher Simon Moore said: "It appears that aggression, not celebration, determined how much spectators planned to drink after the match.
"This exploratory study seems to suggest that trying to reduce aggression by targeting alcohol misuse may not be the best strategy, because aggressive individuals have already planned to consume more alcohol before they start drinking.
"These results are also consistent with events around the world which have seen the fans of winning teams run riot after the match."
The findings are published in the journal Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health.
"A possible explanation for our findings could be that if a supporter's team wins or draws, he can get so caught up in the match that he loses sight of the future, and this loss of perspective leads to increased aggression," added Moore.
He also suggests that the study findings could have important implications for crowd control.
"Threats of future punishment or warning people that violent behaviour can damage their health will have little restraining influence, because the person has lost sight of the future," said Moore.
"In this situation rapid deployment of police and on the spot fines could be more effective."
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