Street parties got out of control, with at least five separate incidents before midnight.
Emergency services attended fires in Hyde St, Castle St, Forth St, Harbour Tce and High St shortly after the culmination of the All Blacks victory over France at Eden Park.
Otago Daily Times photographer Stephen Jaquiery had a beer bottle thrown at him as he took a photograph of a fire in Hyde St, in the student quarter.
"There were hundreds of students dancing and yelling, with loud music blasting.
"A lot of them had their shirts off and were walking around among the broken bottles and glass in bare feet," he said.
"Anything flammable was being thrown on the fire."
Fire Communications Centre shift manager Carl Patterson said five fire appliances were dispatched to "your usual student hotspots" after several calls were made to 111 shortly after 11pm.
About 20 firefighters attended the different blazes to try to contain the flames, with about 10 couch fires reported in a 20-minute period, Mr Patterson said.
On some streets in the student quarter emergency calls were made to report fires burning on different ends of the street, he said.
Acting Senior Sergeant Ben Butterfield said about six police officers were sent to North Dunedin to monitor the situation as firefighters work- ed to extinguish the fires.
Police had made no arrests at the callouts, he said.
Firefighters extinguished the bonfires quickly as hundreds of onlookers gathered to watch their efforts - some running from flats to ensure they could watch the flames.
One witness, who declined to be named, said about 150 partygoers were dancing and singing as people threw materials and bottles on to one of the largest fires, in Hyde St.
A fire appliance with four crew members extinguished a fire in High St, between Hope and Graham Sts, which was lit in the upper City Rise area shortly after 11pm, Mr Patterson said.
Police also reported several youths in High St were playing "chicken" and harrassing passing motorists on the steep city street last night.
Police decided to close the lower Octagon to vehicles about 11.30pm and Dunedin City Council staff assisted with that procedure, Snr Sgt Butterfield said.
Revellers in a packed and boisterous Octagon were "generally well-behaved" he said, of the central Dunedin city celebrations for the All Blacks second Rugby World Cup victory, 8-7, after a 24-year wait.
