Wales head coach Warren Gatland has apologised for any offence his use of the word “banter” may have caused when reflecting on last Saturday’s Joe Marler-Samson Lee incident at Twickenham.
Marler is still waiting to discover if his verbal abuse of Wales tighthead Lee during last Saturday’s RBS Six Nations clash is to result in any punishment from disciplinary chiefs.
The delay in publishing the findings into the incident during which Marler called Lee “gypsy boy” comes despite the Harlequins loosehead having apologised to his rival at half-time for the comment and England censuring the player and reminding him of his conduct.
“Look, we have no issue. It was just a bit of banter, as far as I am concerned. And that’s the way that Samson said it,” Galtand said.
“Joe said to him at half-time it was only just a bit of fun, and Samson said he has no issue. It’s just banter on the rugby field. Fifteen, 20 years ago, those things were sorted out with fists and stuff.”
The Welsh Rugby Union, however, issued a statement on Wednesday, with Gatland stating “I don’t condone racism of any kind. I apologise for any offence my use of the word banter may have caused.
“He believed Joe made his comment in the heat of the moment, he later regretted it and apologised, but Samson believes it wasn’t racist in intent and he accepted Joe’s apology.”
The WRU, meanwhile, said it would welcome a “definitive and speedy” conclusion by the Six Nations to its investigation.
jcr
Roar Rookie
Sledgehammer and cracking a nut ,spring to mind. Is it necessary that every issue seems to be needed to be dealt with by "setting an example" . Maybe , just maybe some issues can be dealt with in house because you know what , most people do know what's acceptable and guess what , quite often the person who makes the mistake recognises it once they cool down . People can own their own mistakes ,do we really need to legislate every time something dumb is said or done.
Outlier
Guest
In light of the fact expressing an opinion that is critical of discrimination gets you moderated on on The Roar, I will simple post a link to the response of the Gypsy community to the IRB condoning racism. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/rugby-union/2016/03/17/rugby-accused-of-institutional-racism-after-immoral-decision-to/ I hope that it is not to distasteful for the site.
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Ironic isn't it. Given a broad and catch all definition of discrimination such as you seem to offer, a goodly proportion of posters falling over themselves to express their outrage at the Englishman Marler in various threads, are themselves guilty of the same crime, though they'll never acknowledge or recognise it.
Outlier
Guest
It is not flippant. It is quite simple really. Bigotted behaviour is bigotted behaviour. Just because someone becomes accustomed to being abused and has gotten to a stage where they do not make a scene everytime some abuses them does not mean that you are entitled to continue to engage in racist behavour. It is abhorrent that a player can racially abuse another player and simply walk away from the affair because they said sorry. As I said, people who are not accustomed to being discriminated against will always trivialise these things. That is why at some football games black players are thrown with bananas and monkey signs are made without any retribution. The fact that the two of you can not see that prejudicst behaour is predjudist behaiour regardless of context is an indictment on you and not me.
timbo
Guest
I really don't know how to respond to the comparison of this incident with Apartheid in South Africa, or to the implication that I should be much more offended than the bloke who was the 'victim'. So I suppose I'd just better move on.
stillmatic1
Guest
since when is "gypsy" and racism the same thing? considering the so called offended party did not care, why are the neophytes jumping to his defence? bored, filled with faux outrage at every perceived slight? never had a laugh at anyone else's expense perhaps? live in their ivory towers but then complain about "the powers that be" not bowing down to their idea of a new world order? since when are flippant comments made in life comparable to the atrocities that happened during apartheid??
Outlier
Guest
The abuse levelled at the player had nothing to do with him being a prop, Timbo you are obviously someone who has never been discriminated against. Those are the only people who trivialise discrimination. Nobody is saying that the player should never be allowed to play again, simply that you cannot allow racism to go unpunished in sport. Rugby was very sympathetic to the Springboks during Apartheid, even after every other organisation banned the Springboks. This event and the fact that it goes unpunished just serves to confirm that racism is considered trivial by the powers that be.
Timbo
Guest
Some people seem to be trying to milk this for all it is worth. A fairly stupid thing to say but, no offence to the large, hairy-arsed community, he is a prop. He apologized at half-time (apparently he wasn't instructed to) to the player; the opposition coach has called it 'banter', and infinitely more important, the 'victim' himself Samson Lee has said that as far as he's concerned, it was just 'banter'. Anyone would think this was being pushed (and the attack on the eyes that got the Welsh prop an 8 week ban is being ignored) because Marler is English, but I'm sure there's another explanation
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
"Banter'. Smartest thing to come out of Gatland's mouth for a while
Neil Back
Roar Rookie
Or just move on
Outlier
Guest
Personally I think that it is disgusting that a player can make a racist comment and simply say sorry and get off without so much as a fine. All this shows me is that the IRB does not take racism seriously. The argument about what you do if one player swears at another if you are going to ban players for racist taunts is not in any way relevant. Swearing at someone and racial abuse are fundamentally different.
Outlier
Guest
Personally I think
Brisbane Boys
Guest
I do not want to trivialise racial vilification in any way but to me this almost seems like Marler realised he overstepped and was brought line by his team mates. They should probably move on with a fine and some community engagement.