Nine pupils from a Protestant secondary school in Derry were injured when they were attacked while playing in a cross-community football match in the mainly Catholic Creggan Estate on Monday night.
The principal of Faughan Valley High School, Mrs Carol Niven, said she believed her pupils were "the meat in the sandwich" in a row involving local youths and said she did not believe the incident was motivated by sectarianism.
A spokesman for Altnagelvin Hospital said they treated nine people who were injured in the incident. "All of them were aged between 12 and 15 and we later treated an adult," he said. "One sustained a suspected wrist fracture and another a suspected nose fracture. The other wounds were mainly of a soft tissue variety", the spokesman said.
The incident took place at St Mary's Youth Club in Creggan when club members were playing a friendly indoor football match against the school pupils. During the game there was a fracas involving a local youth and an adult, after which the youth was evicted from the club.
However it is believed he later returned with a group of friends, some of whom were armed with pieces of wood. The officials decided to evacuate the pupils by a rear door but as they walked to their bus, they were caught up between two gangs.
Several of the Protestant children ran into a nearby house while another, in his football strip, ran three miles through the city centre to his home in the Waterside.
The incident, which has been widely condemned by nationalist and unionist politicians in Derry, is being investigated by the RUC. The Mayor of Derry, Councillor Pat Ramsey, described it as "shameful". Father Sean McKenna of St Mary's parish said: "The events as reported to me were deplorable and I would like to express my revulsion in the strongest possible terms."
Mrs Niven said: "What started as a good-natured game of soccer ended in serious injuries to our pupils. The teacher who accompanied the pupils said he did not recall hearing any sectarian remarks - rather it was an incident involving groups of thugs," she said.
"I am confident it will not stop our cross-community work but I feel that the pupils who were injured would naturally be reluctant to return," she added.