They appeared in the Christchurch District Court at Ngā Hau e Whā Marae.
While the accused identities have been suppressed we can tell you they are an uncle and nephew who live together.
The older man is a builder who owns a construction company and the other, a carpet layer.
According to reports, the pair shared a drink with Ryder at a Merivale pub, but after a dispute arose, it's alleged they beat Ryder so savagely outside the pub that he suffered a fractured skull and collapsed lung.
Their lawyer, Jonathan Eaton, disputes eye-witness accounts, saying Ryder sustained most of his injuries when he fell to the ground and that his client threw just one punch
The older man is charged with injuring with reckless disregard and both men face charges of assault.