Saints V Bath match halted for racial abuse.

g · Post by g » Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:11 pm

Just been reading on the BBC Sports website that the game had to be halted after a supporter complained about players from both sides racially abusing each other. The ref had to halt the game and ask both captains to speak to there players and the captains spent 30seconds speaking to their team mates.

This is the first time I've ever heard a halt in play because both teams were racially abusing each other.

westwinds31 · Post by **westwinds31** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 10:15 pm

Heard Paul Grayson on 5 Live .....interesting that ONE person complained about this....but no one else around the person complained !!....none of the players or officials on the pitch heard anything either - stronge one in my book.

Tiger Eye · Post by **Tiger Eye** » Sat Sep 16, 2006 11:01 pm

That is just terrible, we realy don't wanna go down
the same road as football - it is very serious and
makes no sense to think of these morans who are participating
in such a pathetic act.

That's one of the beautiful things with rugby - the fans are cool
no matter where they're from, I hope it doesn't change and turn
nasty and horrible like soccer.

westwinds31 · Post by **westwinds31** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 9:05 am

See my previous post...rugby isn't going down the racist route....its ONE person who allegedly heard this...noone else did !

Iain · Post by **Iain** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 11:14 am

Someone may or may not have heard something, but the referee did right in just stopping the game, telling both captains that a complaint had been made and to either stop it if it was happening, and great if it wasn't. Then on with the game. Don't think there is a lot to discuss really, and I certainly don't understand the "becoming more like football" comment.

quincy · Post by **quincy** » Sun Sep 17, 2006 12:47 pm

What next. Someone complaining about someone smoking on the terrace, someone not following the proper route when leaving the ground, someone standing up in the crumbie or even standing on the yellow brick road.
The Northampton episode just about shows the way the country is going. PC, Safety of grounds Act.............etc.
Lets just get on with the rugby.

kuzza · Post by **kuzza** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 8:05 am

I cannot believe I'm reading someone complaining about allegations of racism is just one example of the way this country is going PC and comparing racist abuse to smoking in the stands.

That's simply shocking.

I agree with Iain, the ref did the rght thing. I also think that supporter who complained did thee right thing. Abuse is abuse, whether on the field or off and no type of abuse should have a place in sport, or anywhere else for that matter.

Dave W · Post by **Dave W** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:29 am

Racism I can understand and there is no place for it anywhere but do we run the risk then that if some fan who takes offence to players swearing at each other, the game will be stopped? I know if I had just had Henry T run over me, I would be swearing my effin' head off

(probably after I had woken up in hospital of course).

boondock · Post by **boondock** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:41 am

i was the match and it was really odd, we didnt know why the match was interrupted until i got home and read about it on teletext.

what i do know is that there did not seem to be any particular animosity between the players during the match (before or after the interruption) - a bit of handbags with wally and grewc.ock but thats pretty much a given when saints meet bath, and there certainly wasnt at the end of the match, handshakes & the odd hug all round.

both teams have come out and said their players didnt hear anything, the match officials have said the same. theres no place for racist behaviour, and both teams have said they will take action against players if anything is proven, but its hard to see where this is going to go...

Rizzo · Post by **Rizzo** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:55 am

it could simply be that the one person who made the complaint misheard something that was said/yelled between players on the field. There's a lot of swearing, under the breath and obvious but I also think the ref did the right thing in speaking to both captains - it was dealt with at the time, no more need be said.

quincy · Post by **quincy** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 3:25 pm

Kuzza, you missed the point I was making.
I do not condone racism. I was trying to make the point that one person in the stand can halt a game of rugby - yes rugby, not a church choral practise, by suggesting he heard one player being racist to another. I just feel that nowadays everyone panics at the suggestion that no one is taking any action. The referee is in charge of these matters. Not Jo Bloggs.
Yes, I do feel very strongly about the state of the country and the way we bow down to political correctness, but thats to do with the ballot box and not rugby.
As for the smoking debate. I am a non smoker but disagree with smokers not being able to smoke in the open air. Although this was no doubt a democratic vote by the board, I would suggest (perhaps I am wrong) that the vast majority of the board are non smokers themselves!

kuzza · Post by **kuzza** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 10:43 pm

Not getting drawn into a conversation on political correctness whether it be rugby related or not. Haven't a clue where the comparison to a church choral bit comes in.

http://tinyurl.com/rz6f5

Gate · Post by **Gate** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:04 pm

What's the betting that, after all those headlines yammering about racist abuse, the blatts won't give more a few millimetres of space to the news that it was all found to be nothing? Kierkegaard was so right about the Press.

dailywaffle · Post by **dailywaffle** » Mon Sep 18, 2006 11:26 pm

"Northampton scrum-half Mark Robinson has been given a written warning after being found to have used "inappropriate language" towards Bath's Andy Higgins.

But both players, their team-mates and match officials all testified that there had been no racist remarks.

Robinson said he had become angry when Higgins would not return the ball."

So there we have it. A player swore at a rugby match.

Breaking news ...... the Pope is catholic.

Dave W · Post by **Dave W** » Tue Sep 19, 2006 10:22 am

http://tinyurl.com/zcc3a

From the RFU website, shows the findings following their investigation. Thanks Belper J, just changed to a tiny url link :)