A youth was taken to hospital and two others are under investigation by the RCMP after a fight broke out at a football game in Harewood this week. 

The altercation happened at about 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 13, which drew police to Harewood Centennial Park.

"We arrived and one youth was on the ground being tended to by other people," said reserve Const. Gary O'Brien, Nanaimo RCMP spokesperson. 

O'Brien said the 18-year-old had suffered significant, but non life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment. 

"Based on preliminary evidence, we believe that the [person] who was on the ground was assaulted by two other persons," O'Brien said. 

The two youths who allegedly assaulted the victim were 16 and 13 years old, according to police. One of the other two youths was arrested for assault and later released. The other suspected of being involved has also been identified, but no charges have yet been filed against that person.

"We're in the early stages of this investigation," O'Brien said. "We'll be reviewing video surveillance to see if it caught the altercation at all."

He said Nanaimo RCMP is working with the school and said the outcome of the football game had nothing to do with the altercation, which was simply between two groups of youths who happened to be there.

"A knife was produced during the altercation and seized by police," O'Brien said. "We do not believe it was used in the altercation, but it was presented. We'll be talking to several students and following up with the people involved to make sure this doesn't happen again."