Six British Army rugby players were busted for beating an off-duty NYPD cop and his friend outside a Murray Hill sports bar early yesterday, law-enforcement sources told The Post.
The crew attacked the rookie Brooklyn officer and his pal outside Mercury Bar at Third Avenue and 33rd Street at around 4 a.m. because the pair had chatted with a woman in the athletes’ group, the sources said.
One burly Brit punched out the cop’s pal and then attacked the sober cop who was aiding his friend.
“He backed up and said, ‘I’m a cop. Leave us alone,’ ” a source said, but the rugby ruffians attacked anyway, beating the cop while he was on the ground.
“They surrounded the friend. They are pretty decent-size guys,” the source said. “The cop went to help his friend and the four jumped on him and started beating him up, knocked him to the ground.”
The police officer, who was unarmed and in plainclothes, called 911 — but one of the players snatched his phone.
The players from the Royal Regiment of Scotland were slated to play a team in Boston today but the game will likely be canceled.