Crusaders open to discuss name change following shooting
The first thing for us is things are still fairly raw. We’re in a state of shock. We’ll acknowledge the feedback we’ve had. It is appropriate.
WELLINGTON: The Canterbury Crusaders are open to discussing a potential name change following mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch that killed 50 people.
The Crusaders adopted their name 23 years ago when rugby went professional but questions have been raised over its associations with the medieval religious wars between Christians and Muslims since the attacks.
The franchise, which has won a record nine Super C MANSBRIDGE, Canterbury Crusaders chief executive on name change
Rugby titles, issued a statement on Saturday defending the name but chief executive Colin Mansbridge said on Sunday they were open to initiating discussions about a change, in time.
“The first thing for us is things are still fairly raw,” Mansbridge told TVNZ on Sunday. “We’re in a state of shock. We’ll acknowledge the
feedback we’ve had. It is appropriate.”
The death toll from the shooting, carried out by a suspected white supremacist and described by New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern as the country’s “darkest day”, rose to 50 on Sunday.
Mansbridge said like other residents of Christchurch they needed time before they looked at initiating the review, which would include discussions with the Muslim community.
“In the context of what’s happened it is pretty hard to sort of elevate this conversation at the moment,” Mansbridge added. “We’ve heard it, we’ve heard the feedback, and we do want to have a conversation about it.”
The Christchurch-based side’s Super Rugby clash with the Otago Highlanders in Dunedin on Saturday was cancelled after discussions between the teams and police.
The third cricket Test between New Zealand and Bangladesh that was due to start in Christchurch on Saturday was cancelled after the tourists narrowly avoided being caught up in the shooting. Other top-class matches, however, went ahead over the weekend as New Zealand’s sporting community battled with the ramifications of the tragedy.
New Zealand’s top professional football team, the Wellington Phoenix, said their A-league match with the Western Sydney Wanderers would go ahead on Sunday.