Blues hurt by ‘low life’ comments
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Racially charged comments about the Blues Super Rugby team’s poor form show there is an element of racism in New Zealand society, says Blues chief executive Andy Dalton.
The Blues’ slow start to the season – with just one win in six games – has brought on a number of comments on social media sites blaming the high number of Maori and Pacific Island players and coaches in the team.
Coach Pat Lam broke down in front of the media on Wednesday as he talked about the impact of the racial abuse on his parents.
“They sacrificed themselves for us to come here and have a good life, so it hurts my parents,” he said.
Dalton told Radio New Zealand on Thursday morning some of the comments the team have received have been “absolutely low life”.
He says the Blues welcome feedback on their performance through social media, but some of it has gone “far beyond the realms of reasonable”.
“It’s not racism within Auckland rugby – I think it’s an element of our society,” Dalton said.
“It’s a very ugly part of our society and I think we’ve all got a responsibility to shut that stuff down.”
Dalton says there is zero tolerance towards racism in the Blues organisation and he hopes this is the same for any New Zealand business.
Lam says he accepts criticism of the team’s performance, particularly from people prepared to put their names to comments, but the racial comments are unacceptable.
“It’s the faceless people, and that’s social media and so forth and talkback, when people say things that are pretty offensive, making out that it’s because I’m an Islander – that’s just offensive.”
Lam coached the Blues to the Super Rugby playoffs last year.
© AAP 2013- Explore:
- Blues, Pat Lam, Rugby Union, Super Rugby
April 12th 2012 @ 10:21am
ohtani's jacket said | April 12th 2012 @ 10:21am | Report comment
This is the sad and unfortunate truth and has been a longstanding problem in Auckland with both the Blues and the Warriors. Even my father has been known to say stuff like this.
April 12th 2012 @ 1:07pm
millard said | April 12th 2012 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
RR yes silence of the critics or silence of the lams?
April 12th 2012 @ 12:20pm
RebelRanger said | April 12th 2012 @ 12:20pm | Report comment
As a Pacific Islander myself I feel for Lam and all the people who have taken offence (players/ families of players/ management etc).
Unfortunately we live in a world where there are people who are racists. But thats life, I don’t belive its anything to cry over.
I played junior rugby for a team where only 2 players were not of Samoan descent (in Melbourne, I know how weird) and alot of weeks we heard opposition coaches, parents etc label us dogs, mongrels, savages what have you and it upset us but you can’t break down and have a cry. You steel yourself and power on. When we won the championship all those comments were irrelevant to us as it means nothing. Lam needs results to silence his critics. There will always be racists.
April 12th 2012 @ 1:25pm
Onor said | April 12th 2012 @ 1:25pm | Report comment
its not racisist… i live in auckland and everyone i talk to about the blues and even the islanders are saying it. I was in the waikato over the weekend and it was put in a better manner when i made a joke that the blues are just warming up at a bar… when a man said.. “the blues.. too many cuzzie bro’s in that team” and the entire bar agreed with him.
April 12th 2012 @ 1:54pm
Lippy said | April 12th 2012 @ 1:54pm | Report comment
As a maori I find the criticism of the team and coach justified however the need to racially abuse Pat and the Blues is abhorrent. I personally have not seen any of the comments myself so I can only go by whats in the media.
Reality is that there is an underlying thought system within some sectors of society is that the Brown boys provide the brawn and gas whilst the white boys provide the brains and direction.
Pat isn’t making excuses King and your comment is as pitiful those making the racist remarks.
If this doesn’t fire up the Blues then nothing will
April 12th 2012 @ 1:57pm
Lippy said | April 12th 2012 @ 1:57pm | Report comment
April 12th 2012 @ 2:24pm
Emric said | April 12th 2012 @ 2:24pm | Report comment
As a New Zealander with a maori mother and European Father I completely disagree with the thinking that there are too many bro’s in the Blues.
New Zealand was built on Maori rugby and the style they played gave us a national identity. Pat is doing a great job he’s just brought into the Hurricanes dream of having too many All Blacks who are not prepared to play ball.
The Hurricanes are now on the rise and the blues have been saddled with the same infighting problems which plagued the hurricanes last year.
It’s the players attitudes towards new ideas and training. In the All Blacks they would be dropped for upsetting the coach in the blues, like the hurricanes before them, they are being tolirated
This is the problem with the blues as i see it
April 12th 2012 @ 3:31pm
Photon said | April 12th 2012 @ 3:31pm | Report comment
Isn’t this a mainstream view in New Zealand, last year Spiro wrote a whole article how you can’t have to moaris playing in decision making posititions on a rugby field. That’s not verbatim but it’s basically what was implied.
April 13th 2012 @ 9:26am
BennO said | April 13th 2012 @ 9:26am | Report comment
That seems a pretty serious allegation toward a rugby writer. I think you’d better be prepared to provide a link to that article if you’re going to make an allegation like that because it seems highly unlikely to me.
April 13th 2012 @ 9:38am
The Bush said | April 13th 2012 @ 9:38am | Report comment
Actually the article (by Spiro) was in response to comments/rumiurs that emerged about the Crusaders which suggested there was an unwritten philosophy or whatever you want to call it that the halves are always white and that the “best” Kiwi teams have white tight fives and halves and Islander/Maori back rows and three quarter lines.
From memory Spiro was certainly not advocating it or agreeing with it – simply reported the comments/rumours, whatever you want to call them.
April 14th 2012 @ 8:55am
BennO said | April 14th 2012 @ 8:55am | Report comment
Thanks for clearing that up. It did sound unlikely that Spiro would write something like that.
April 14th 2012 @ 10:41am
Photon said | April 14th 2012 @ 10:41am | Report comment
Wait just a second, I speak under correction but in the article spiro infers that the guy who suggested this was some sort of visionary and that those who refered to the policy as rascist were morons. If I am wrong I will gladly apologise, but I don’t think I am. Please may one of you post a link if you can?
April 12th 2012 @ 3:43pm
Lippy said | April 12th 2012 @ 3:43pm | Report comment
Sir Graham to the rescue surely this will give the Blues some confidence
http://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/rugby/super-rugby/6732292/Pat-Lam-safe-at-Blues-Graham-Henry-to-aid
April 12th 2012 @ 4:30pm
Geoff Brisbane now California said | April 12th 2012 @ 4:30pm | Report comment
So it is agreed racial abuse is not welcome at all from all races whether polynesian/maori or european etc. That is cool now lets get on with the rugby because once again the media I have looked at hasn’t been able to prove whether the abuse was from european/polynesian or maori and the agreement is none is acceptable.
April 12th 2012 @ 5:32pm
west said | April 12th 2012 @ 5:32pm | Report comment
I havent read any racist remarks on social media about pacific islanders on the blues…..maybe its around somewhere if you look hard enough for it i guess. Racist remarks aside the Blues are in trouble and the coach cant blame some stupid remarks and BS and act like there effecting him, if some ridiculous remarks are effecting him then he shouldn’t be in that position. Any professional should be above pity remarks. I hate racist of any kind but the team needs to step up pakeha, maori and pacific islanders and work together. Henry has got involved he made the Auckland team a huge success when he was head coach with plenty of Islanders and maori players so that proves that race is not the issue now or ever will be. With Henry involved he will uncover the truth and expose the weak links whether that be individual players or coaching staff or both. We will expect to see some dramatic changes.