Cavani case shows how to beat racism

RUGBY, like football, says it is serious about tackling racism. Events in the last few days would suggest one sport is rather more serious than the other.

Compare and contrast: Argentina find Pablo Matera guilty of racist comments on social media and suspend him from the captaincy. Next breath, they reinstate him.

Manchester United ban Edison Cavani for three matches over a social media post from the Uruguayan containing an ‘insulting’ word which he says he never meant to cause offence: “It was intended as an affectionate greeting to a friend.”

Cavani was fined £100,000 and ordered to undertake a ‘face-to-face’ educational programme. The Argentinian Union say they have withdrawn their endorsement of Matera’s captaincy until he has ‘satisfactorily’ completed the programme.

No mention of punishment, financial or otherwise, begs the question: Is rugby really serious about racism….?