Now here’s a couple of stars to look up to
Opinion: In 30 years’ time, T J Perenara and Brad Weber will be recalled not for sniping runs, fast passing from the ruck or box kicks, but for changing attitudes.
This view comes not from being able to see into the future, but from looking back at courageous All Blacks who shaped my life in positive ways, as the two feisty No 9s now have.
Men such as Ken Gray, Bruce Robertson, Graham Mourie, David Kirk and John Kirwan bravely refused to tour South Africa or play Springbok sides selected on racial grounds.
To take that stand took monumental courage; stepping aside from a Springbok-New Zealand test series was akin to avoiding the world championship of rugby.
Playing the mighty Boks was a chance that came along about twice a decade. Refusing to play them was to risk a career, and to incur the wrath of a rugbyloving nation.
Another role model was evertwitching ever-mobile loose forward Josh Kronfeld, who wore anti-nuclear logos on his headgear, and crash tackling loosie Michael Jones, whose religion prevented him playing on Sundays.
For sports fans, those men in black provided lightbulb moments – ‘‘racism, bad’’, ‘‘nuclear bombs, bad’’.
Without the likes of them, those thoughts would have taken a lot longer to enter my own head, crammed as it was with running statistics and Monty Python sketches.
I was a pathetic protester. Marching in the street in 1981 to be bashed by the
Let rugby players promote rugby. And act firmly when they denigrate the game.
Red Squad, or spat on by pro-tour types, was not for me.
Nor was there any prospect of joining a flotilla to protest America warship visits, or sailing on Mururoa atoll in a bid to halt French nuclear blasts.
It took rugby players to light the way, the truth and the life, just as Perenara and Weber now are guiding young fans toward what is right, and what is wrong.
So is Israel Folau, of course. He offers a fork in the road. Heaven left, Hell right.
In 1986, I formed the view 30 players who snuck off to South Africa with the Cavaliers were wrong, and the two who did not – Kirk and Kirwan – were right. Our sports office was divided on that.
In 2018, there are those who consider Folau is right, rather than a spouter of hate speech, although I don’t hear support for his views where I sit in Stuff’s sports desk.
In this entrenched war of words there will be those like a 1980s Model Norquay who had barely thought about it, until Perenara and Weber stepped forward.
Now they have seen two players prepared to have strong ideals and stand up for them, and heard the wisdom of Michael Jones.
‘‘I do know Israel and he’s a good man. He’s got a good heart, and a strong faith...’’ Jones said.
‘‘At the same time, I recognise that, in terms of my faith, it’s very much a faith built on love and grace.’’
Those are positive life lessons, similar to 2017 when Muslim Sonny Bill Williams exercised his right to make a conscientious objection against a bank sponsor’s logo on his Super Rugby jersey.
Or in 2013, when Wallaby David Pocock declared he would not marry his partner Emma Palandri until gay people were legally permitted to do the same.
Now Rugby World Cup boss – World Rugby chief operating officer Alan Gilpin – is saying tightening the rules was something tournament officials would ‘‘certainly have to consider’’.
Gilpin said the social media post where Folau stated gay people would go to ‘‘Hell...unless they repent of their sins and turn to God’’ was at odds with World Rugby’s drive to celebrate diversity, tolerance and inclusiveness.
His post could become the catalyst for stricter social media policies at next year’s Rugby World Cup in Japan.
Whoa there World Rugby, cut the control freakery.
There are already rules against what Folau did – (law 9.12): sanctions can be imposed on a player deemed to have engaged in verbal abuse which ‘‘includes, but is not limited to, abuse based on; religion, colour, national or ethnic origin, sexual orientation’’.
Let’s not gag players. Let them be seen as individuals with minds of their own, let them show the world the game IS inclusive, diverse and tolerant.
World Rugby went down this road last year when it madly tried to ban players from writing messages on their wrist strapping.
Let rugby players promote rugby. And act firmly when they denigrate the game.