Former Black Cap reveals anger at racist remark
No matter what you’re doing, you can’t talk to people
and categorise them in the way that person did.
Murphy Su’a
Former Black Caps bowler Murphy Su’a has revealed a targeted racist incident involving a senior player in the 1990s.
After Black Caps great Ross Taylor revealed his experience of bigotry within the Black Caps setup, Su’a says he was victim to a racist comment from a senior member of the side.
“It really upset me. I got quite angry about it but nothing was ever done about it.”
The Samoan-new Zealander said management swept the incident under the rug, saying the player didn’t mean it.
“They said it was just the heat of the moment. But for me, it wasn’t the heat of the moment.
“No matter what you’re doing, you can’t talk to people and categorise them in the way that person did.
“He’s never apologised for it and probably doesn’t think he did anything wrong.”
Su’a said he was even held partially responsible for the incident.
“They blamed me for my attitude. But it wasn’t my attitude. When someone calls you a derogatory comment about where you come from, why
wouldn’t you get upset and defend yourself?”
Su’a — like Taylor — is of Samoan
descent and regarded as New Zealand’s first male Pasifika player at international level.
The left-arm seamer played 13 tests and 12 ODIS for the Black Caps between 1992 and 1995.
New Zealand Cricket spokesman Richard Boock
offered sympathy to Su’a.
“I think the further you go back in time the worse that type of behaviour was. As Ross himself has said, things have improved immeasurably since then.”
Boock said the governing body had reformed since the 1990s.
“When Murphy started playing international cricket, the old NZCC was run by a chairman and a secretary — it was before the days of the Hood Report, which transformed the body into a professional organisation.
“There was no players’ association, and very little support and protection for the players then. Thankfully, the environment has improved a lot, but it’s still terrible that Murphy and others had to experience that.”
In his book Black and White, Taylor said dressing-room banter often crossed the line into racist remarks.
“A teammate used to tell me, ‘You’re half a good guy, Ross, but which half is good? You don’t know what I’m referring to.’ I was pretty sure I did.”
Su’a was unsurprised to hear of Taylor’s experiences. He said he would regularly receive off-handed remarks about his race from teammates.
“There were definitely some facets of racism within the team. It wasn’t widespread . . . part of it I think is ignorance.”
The New Zealand Cricket board is mostly Pa¯keha¯, with Rebecca Rolls and Diana Puketapu of Ma¯ ori descent, both affiliates of the Nga¯ti Porou iwi. There is no Pasifika representative.