England cricket captain Ben Stokes downed £25 double rum and cokes with rugby skipper Maro Itoje before nightclub punch-up

Ben Stokes was having a double rum and coke with England rugby captain Maro Itoje as he got into a fight with another rugby player late at night.

The England cricket star and his teammate Gus Atkinson were joining England rugby internationals as they celebrated their first Test win over New Zealand at the White Horse in Parsons Green, south-west London, on Sunday evening.

But hours later, a fight broke out over tables in the VIP section of the club at the Rex Rooms in Chelsea. The venue is open until 3.30am and has been described as ‘Chelsea’s naughtiest nightclub’.

Saracens player Totoa Auvua, 21, is thought to have punched Atkinson, instead injuring the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) security guard who was supervising the two stars, and a scuffle ensued. It was learned that Stokes and Atkinson escaped uninjured.

It was understood that the fight was caused by a dispute over the tables in the VIP section of the club.

On Monday night Saracens confirmed they were aware of an incident involving one of their players. Daily Mail Sport understands the row was not provoked by two cricketers drinking near a Kensington hotel in England.

The England captain was drinking double rum and coke at the White Horse pub in Fulham

Stokes, 35, arrived at the bar in south-west London at around 9pm, where bar staff said he already appeared ‘drunk’.

Standing by the bar, he ordered ‘enormous’ rounds of ‘ample’ double rum and coke for up to £25 each, before leaving at 11pm.

England cricketers such as Stokes and Atkinson were seen arguing with rugby stars Itoje, Ben Earl and Jamie George.

Daily Mail Sport understands there is a friendship between the two camps, with George setting up the nearby Boundary pub with several former England cricket stars and the Earl being an old friend of Zak Crawley.

Bar staff said cricketers were loitering next to the bar while rugby players were stuck at their tables on the other side of the venue.

But he eventually united the groups and the Saracens stars were heard discussing their upcoming tour to Australia before leaving the White Horse and heading to the Rex Rooms at closing time.

A staff member said Stokes had a long conversation with George who appeared ‘very friendly’.

The pub, where beers cost up to £8.50, was very busy on Sunday with the Polo in the Park event being held at nearby Hurlingham Park.

Stokes was previously suspended by England following a violent incident outside a Bristol nightclub that was captured on video.

This caused him to miss the 2017-18 Ashes tour, but he was later cleared of the charge when the case reached court the following summer, when it emerged that he had acted in defense of two gay men who were subjected to homophobic abuse.

21-year-old Saracens star Totoa Auvaa, player, weighs 125 kg and is 1.80 meters tall

Rex Rooms, on King’s Road, is known as ‘the naughtiest nightclub in Chelsea’

Neither Atkinson nor Stokes are expected to be in England’s squad at The Oval next week as the investigation continues; This means Harry Brook, who was himself the subject of a late-night investigation and was handed a £30,000 fine and a formal reprimand, will lead the team.

‘The ECB is currently investigating any breach of team protocols following the conclusion of the first men’s test against New Zealand,’ a statement from the governing body said.

‘Ben Stokes and Gus Atkinson were in a nightclub in the early hours of Monday morning when an incident occurred.

We are currently seeking further information and an announcement regarding the squad for the second Test will be made in due course.

‘The Regulator of Cricket has been informed and we will provide further updates when possible.’

The regulator is an independent body that investigates cases of misconduct and will examine their conduct following England’s 115-run victory over the Kiwis at Lord’s, where Atkinson hit match figures of 7 for 39.

But it is the worst possible news for a governing body keen to clear the image of the England team being beaten 4-1 on the Ashes tour by losing 4-1 to Australia after Brook was punched by a nightclub bouncer in Wellington, a boozy mid-series break that has been compared to a stag party for the team in Noosa.

Daily Mail Sport exclusively reported on Tuesday that Stokes is understood to be considering his international future after he breached the team’s curfew on Monday morning.

Stokes could still be banned for the remainder of the three-match series against New Zealand, while Atkinson could face a lighter penalty; possibly a one-match ban, which could rule him out of the second test at home The Oval, which starts on June 17.

A source close to the dressing room said questions about his future were ‘in the air’. Another told Daily Mail Sport: ‘I don’t know if even he knows what he wants to do yet.’

The mood at Lord’s remains unchanged after the latest booze-related incident to dominate English cricket’s headlines; especially since Stokes himself, along with head coach Brendon McCullum and general manager Rob Key, was one of the architects of the lockdown imposed after the disastrous tour of Australia. There is angry talk at headquarters that the captain is bringing the game into disrepute.

Stokes, who turned 35 on the first day of England’s 115-run win over New Zealand at Lord’s, now has to decide whether to pursue his ambition of reclaiming the Ashes when Australia visit next summer.