Wasps to consider ban on Chiefs supporters wearing headdresses

Wasps will become the first Premiership club to “look into” a call to ban Exeter fans from wearing novelty Native American headdresses at their ground after a supporters’ group wrote to them about the “cultural appropriation”.

The open letter urges Wasps to follow their own “trailblazing attitude” on racism in banning the “faux headdresses” after the “phenomenal, emotive pieces” with wing Paolo Odogwu and fly-half Jacob Umaga on the club’s official website. “That we are a part of a club that is one of the game’s loudest voices on tackling inequality is a source of huge pride for the supporters,” the letter to Wasps chief executive Stephen Vaughan adds.

Exeter Chiefs have faced strong criticism for their branding and have been lobbied by the pressure group, Exeter Chiefs for Change, to drop all Native American imagery. Last year, the club refused to bow to pressure after an internal review found that their iconography was “in fact highly respectful” to Native American people. The club’s third kit for last season featured silhouettes of two Native American chiefs in full headdress even though they retired their mascot, “Big Chief ”, as “a mark of respect”.

“We support the fantastic work of @Exchiefs4change and continue to applaud the great work the club [Wasps] is doing to help raise awareness of inequality,” the letter concludes. In response, a Wasps statement read: “The club does not tolerate any form of discrimination, inequality or anti-social behaviour. We will undertake a review of our policies towards this.”

Vaughan wrote on Twitter: “We are undergoing a root and branch E, D & I [Equality, diversity and inclusion] review. It’s an important issue, so we mustn’t be afraid to meet these challenges head on.”