Hard-line stance needed from sporting bodies when it comes to intolerance

AWORLD apart but twin issues nonetheless.

As Israel Folau (right) landed himself in more hot water with his latest contribution on, amongst other things, homosexuality, on social media, it emerged in this newspaper that allegations have been made about racial abuse that is said to have taken place in the

schools GAA match last month.

Racism and intolerance in sport is nothing new. It raises its head in almost every sport at almost every level. The Super Bowl, the Olympics and the World Cup have all been affected in one form or another while in 2017, a U-12 football match in the Wicklow and District league was abandoned after adults on the sidelines allegedly hurled racist abuse at two underage Traveller players. And now it seems a Hogan Cup game is under investigation.

Where there are people there is the potential for this sort of behaviour. Intolerance will never fully go away but what can change is the reaction to it.

Down through the years racism simply wasn’t much of an issue for the GAA, down as much to the lack of diversity here as anything else. But as Ireland changed so has the GAA. In recent years there have been several high-profile incidents.

Lee Chin, Jason Sherlock, Keith Rossiter and others have spoken out about being the victims of abuse in the past. More recently, the Liberian-born Rosemount and Westmeath footballer Boidu Sayeh explained what life is like for a black man playing Gaelic football.

“People would obviously say things to you. But I would naturally brush it off. I just see it more as someone is frustrated or whatever and something would come out. It wouldn’t be anything as bad, it might be something like, ‘ya black b ****** d’, it wouldn’t be anything major, major.

“I don’t really take it as personal, I just brush it off. But obviously it’s still there. A lot of people would see black lads playing, or Asian lads or Pakistani lads, I think everyone is seeing that the game is developing and things are getting better. I think the situation has calmed down a good bit. Well, from my part anyway, it feels like it has calmed down a good bit.”

It’s ‘calmed down’ in the GAA due to a mix of greater integration in general in Irish life, tougher sanctions and better education. In 2014, GAA Congress voted 95.5pc in favour of making any ‘act by deed, word or gesture of a racist, sectarian or anti-inclusion/diversity nature against an opponent’ a red card offence and punishable by anything from an eight-week suspension to expulsion from the association.

There’s still work to be done but by and large the message that intolerance won’t be tolerated seems to be getting through.

Now the focus turns to Rugby Australia and their reaction. This is not Folau’s first brush with controversy. He has previously aired his views on the LGBT society and it’s never been favourable, citing religious beliefs as the reason behind his views.

Folau is a lavishly skilled, threecode star. A rugby league hero who was drafted into the AFL for a stint before moving to the 15-man game

and signing a deal with Australian rugby that makes him one of the highest-paid players in the world.

His talent is not up for debate. A freakish mix of power and speed, last weekend he broke the all-time record for tries scored in Super Rugby with his 60th try in six years, taking him past former Munster great and Cork hurling backroom team member Doug Howlett.

Yesterday his post insisted that “hell awaits” ‘drunks, homosexuals, adulterers, liars, fornicators, thieves, atheists and idolators’. Broadly speaking, it repeated the sentiments of last year but even allowing for his right to have a view, it seemed to fall short of the “obligation to use social media in a respectful way” that Rugby Australia chief Raelene Castle reminded him of last year.

A short statement from Rugby Australia sought to distance themselves from it. “The content within the post is unacceptable. It does not represent the values of the sport and is disrespectful to members of the Rugby community. RA integrity unit has been engaged.”

It was a statement that hinted at something but guaranteed nothing. How likely are the Australia Union to jettison their star player, into whom they have poured so much resources into and have signed up until 2022? in a Rugby World Cup year?

Both the GAA and Rugby Australia are in a tricky spot. If there’s a case to answered after the Naas CBS-Pobalscoil Chorca Dhuibhne game, then it needs to be dealt with. Rugby Australia are even deeper in the mire but for both bodies, being seen to do the right thing is even more important than carrying it out.