Italian club suspends staff member during probe into racist banana Secret Santa gift incident
An Italian rugby club has suspended a staff member “as a precautionary measure’’ while inquiries continue into how a player of west African origin received a rotten banana as a Secret Santa gift.
Guinea-born Benetton and Italy prop Cherif Traorè went public about the incident, saying the most hurtful thing about the banana gift was “seeing most of my mates present laughing.”
Traorè went public on Instagram about his disgust at the disgraceful act, “hoping the sender will learn a lesson”, and an investigation was launched by the Treviso-based United Rugby Championship club.
That led to a statement from the club and Italian rugby’s governing body.
“Benetton Rugby and the Italian Rugby Federation, in the aftermath of the affair involving some of the members of the franchise, wish to reiterate their firm condemnation of all forms of racism and discrimination, which have no place and must not have any place within the Italian rugby movement, sport and civil society,” the statement read.
“Benetton Rugby and the FIR inform that the Federal Prosecutor’s Office has launched the necessary investigations to ascertain the facts, as well as the collective and individual responsibilities, to protect the founding values and reputation of the game.
“At the same time, Benetton Rugby has decided to suspend one of its members as a precautionary measure for the entire duration of the Public Prosecutor’s Office investigations.”
URC officials have urged the club to take “meaningful action’’.
“The URC has been in communication with Benetton regarding the incident first identified in a social media post of Cherif Traorè the Italian international prop forward,” a URC statement read.
“Benetton have been asked to provide a full report on what has occurred and what meaningful action will be taken as a result.
“Racism and discrimination of any kind are abhorrent, completely unacceptable in society and are utterly counter to the values of the sport of rugby and the URC.”