The announcement of the Lions squad to tour South Africa was accompanied by a race row after a remark by former England coach Dick Best about Delon Armitage.
The black England back did not make the selection but was included in a Lions XV chosen by Best as part of the build-up coverage on satellite channel, Sky Sports News.
Asked about his choice of Armitage, Best responded: “You’ve always got to have a coloured boy in the team.”
Sky later apologised on air for the remark and said Best had thought he was off camera.
Piara Powar, the director of Kick It Out, an organisation which campaigns against racism in sport, commented: “Racial stereotyping affects us all, and for many of us it seems to affect the pattern of our lives from the day we are born until the day we die.
“It may well be that Dick Best said what he said as an appreciation of what black players can bring to the game of rugby union.
“But we should firstly knock down the idea that there is some form of quota system in place for picking players, and secondly refute the idea that one ethnic group is inherently better at sport than any other.
“Ultimately these are dangerous profiles to paint and certainly not to be sniggered over. High-profile commentators such as Mr Best should not be inferring that such factors have an influence on the decision-making of elite class coaches such as British Lions coach Ian McGeechan.”
van der Merwe
Guest
Haha, the Lions have quota too,
bob
Guest
perhaps as pointed out by Piara Power, Best was talking about "an appreciation of what black players can bring to the game of rugby union." But anyone who knows anything at all about the Lions knows it has been plagued by politics for years... there has to be seen to be a certain amount of players from the major unions, and a couple from Scotland, a minor union... in order to keep everyone happy... it's one of the things that hamstrings the Lions in real contests. Very rarely in modern times has a Lions team been picked entirely on merit. But this is no big deal, Best is no great voice in union and there is no racism in Rugby in Britain... there may still be a residue of "classisim" if that's a word, but not racism.... not by anyone of any merit anyway.
ballboy
Guest
On air, off air, no excuse and cronies like that are hopefully a fast dying breed.
Keith
Guest
The most appropriately named sports pundit ever.
Knives Out
Guest
Absolutely shocking comment. It seems that Best's hateful leer isn't just a facade designed to motivate players.