Sydney  - Protesters on Friday disrupted the Australian leg of the World Rally Championship by placing boulders in the path of the racing cars and pelting them with stones.

Drivers were held up at the end of stage five at Kyogle in northern New South Wales while officials cleared the roadway. A second afternoon stage had to be cancelled.

Leading drivers Sebastien Loeb, Mikko Hirvonen and Dani Sordo all reported having stones thrown at their vehicles as they drove out of the sector.

"The action by a few has made this part of northern New South Wales a laughing stock around the world," local hotelier Geoff Brown told The Australian newspaper.

"The protesters should be absolutely bloody ashamed of what they've done to a world-class event."

The protesters say the rally wrecks the environment and frightens animals and have had a long campaign to have it declared illegal. (dpa)