Argentina lift suspensions over racist tweets in shock U-turn

SYDNEY: Argentina’s rugby union lited the interim suspensions of skipper Pablo Matera and two other players for racist tweets Thursday, in a shock U-turn just two days ater calling the posts “unacceptable”.

Coach Mario Ledesma hailed Matera as a “great human being” despite the tweets, which date back several years and were described as “discriminatory” and “xenophobic” by the rugby union.

The volte-face followed reports that Argentina’s players had threatened to strike over the suspensions of flanker Matera, second row Guido Peti and replacement hooker Santiago Socino.

All three players were let out of the team to play Australia in the final Tri Nations game in Sydney on Saturday. But Ledesma made clear they would be back.

“They reached an agreement with the union about not playing this game but what I can say is they are three fine players and great men, they are great human beings,” he said. “They’ve been suffering a lot this week, their families have suffered a lot this week. It’s really sad to see.”

Asked if Matera would resume the captaincy, he replied: “Exactly right. Pablo won’t be playing this game but he is still the captain.”

Jeronimo de la Fuente was handed the skipper’s armband for Saturday’s match, with sweeping changes to the Pumas team ater their 38-0 thrashing by New Zealand last week.

Matera, 27, had earlier said he was “deeply ashamed” of the tweets, posted between 2011-2013 and since deleted, including one where he spoke of “running over blacks” with his car.

Peti referred to his domestic worker as a “primate” and spoke of “blacks” stealing mobile phones and wallets.

The posts resurfaced ater criticism that the Pumas did not adequately pay tribute to Argentina football icon Diego Maradona, who died last week.

“They are not the same people that they were at 17 or 18 years old. They are great men, family men,” Ledesma said of the trio. In announcing the suspensions on Tuesday, the Argentina Rugby Union said it “condemns any instance of hate speech and considers it unacceptable that anyone expressing those views would represent our country”.

But on Thursday, it said that while the disciplinary process was continuing, “upholding interim measures is unnecessary, and it is decided to lit the suspension of the three players and reinstate the captaincy of Pablo Matera”.