I believe Marler should have been banned because, plain and simple, what he said was racist and, not only is there no room for this in sport, but there is no room for it anywhere. But I think the ease with which everyone climbed on their high horse this evening meant they missed what the real issues were that come out of World Rugby's decision. One of those is that people are completely disregarding Samson Lee's own thoughts on what went down. Plenty of people were perfectly willing to jump on the bandwagon when it came to sharing their disgust, but completely forgot that, in the end, it is the victim's voice that matters the most here, not yours.
Don't get me wrong, your voice is important, because no one wants racism in rugby, but, as a friend of mine reminded me, the victim is always the top priority here. Samson Lee forgave Joe Marler for his comments, who I should point out apologised without any pressure on him to do so, and this is crucial in the situation. And because of this apology, I do not believe Marler should have received a hefty ban. Instead, I think he should have received a ban of one, possibly two, weeks in order to set a precedent and spread the message to everyone that it will not be tolerated. Sports players are role models for young kids all across the world, and we do not need them copying the disgraceful behaviour of top athletes.
This brings me on to my main gripe, which is the statement World Rugby released in response to this incident. I can criticise it on multiple grounds. The first of those is, whilst they do not 'condone' his actions, they did not step up in a way that made this clear. You cannot say you do not condone somebody's actions, and then proceed to impose no sanction. What kind of message does this give across? It suggests a total lack of interest in the problem of racism, and the effects it can have on people, which is my next problem with World Rugby's reaction. Let's not forget that sportsmen and women, whilst looked upon sometimes with God-like awe, are humans too. They can be offended just like the rest of us. What are World Rugby going to do if they are posed with a situation where someone has been on the receiving end of a racist remark and either do not accept an apology given, or do not get one in the first place?
The simple answer to that question is, from the statement, no one has a clue. And that is a big problem. They need to be very, very clear on what they intend to do if put in this position. Instead, rugby fans are presented with a statement that is amazingly weak and vague, which is a big blow to those who have dedicated their life to following the sport and expect everyone within to be held to a very high standard. It leaves a feeling of bitter disappointment in the people who are in charge, and they must rectify this situation. After all, what is the point in having a law against this type of behaviour if you are going to show no impetus in actually upholding it? World Rugby were presented with the perfect opportunity to show people, who after all are responsible for their pay check, that they take this seriously. Instead, they bottled the chance completely. Yes, I understand they took all the facts of the situation into account, including the views of Lee, who should have the strongest voice here, and whether you agree with him or not, just remember you are not the victim, he is, but the voice of the fans is also important. We need reassurances they care about the important issues, and now it's a wait to see if they have the balls to set a precedent down showing us that they will follow the law, and have a procedure in place to do so.
But the problems do not end here, there is one more thing I want to discuss - the idea that Marler should not be banned because it was in the 'heat of the moment'. Whilst I agree the victim's views should be taken into account along with any actions taken by the offending player to rectify the situation, the aforementioned argument is ridiculous, and I am beyond surprised World Rugby used it to justify their actions. Everything that happens in sport is heat of the moment, and every player that has been banned throughout rugby's history has been banned for something they did in the heat of the moment. By attempting to distinguish between Marler and everyone else who has been sanctioned by using this argument, you indirectly imply previously punished players have planned what they did and made a conscious effort to set out and commit an act of foul play. Which is, frankly, so far from the truth it's stupid that I even have to say it. But I do, because this is what the statement absurdly suggests if you read between the lines. World Rugby have a lot of explaining to do, and everyone waits with bated breath for an explanation that is probably never going to come because they simply do not have the nerve to do so. If they do, I will be very shocked.
On an unrelated note briefly, the various citing committees responsible for holding players accountable need a drastic overhaul. The fact Marler got away with the forearm to Evans' face is beyond belief. James Haskell received a warning for a neck roll he perpetrated in the game against Wales, yet Marler gets absolutely nothing for something that is worse? I cannot grasp this concept, and I do not think any of you readers can either. Whether or not you agree on if it was a red card offence, which in my opinion personally it was, the fact he even escaped a yellow card warning is so inconsistent with other judgments, there is no possible way anyone can argue these committees are consistent. And then this statement and lack of action from World Rugby makes the situation much, much worse.
That is all I am going to say on the matter, otherwise I'd never stop. As usual, I welcome any comments you have to make on what I have said in this post, and the ways for you to get in contact are at the bottom of this page. However, this is a contentious issue, and I know not everyone is going to agree with what I have said today. With this in mind, any comments I consider rude or offensive in any way will be reported. I am all for debate, after all I am a blogger, but if you overstep the mark I will lose any and all interest in your point of view. In the meantime, I want to wish everyone a happy final Six Nations weekend, and wish the England women and men a massive good luck in their quests to win Grand Slams.
Thanks for reading ruckers,
Jess.
Twitter: @JessKebbell @RuckandMaulBlog
Facebook: www.facebook.com/TheRuckandMaul
Email: theruckandmaul@gmail.com; ruckmegentlyblog@gmail.com
Email: theruckandmaul@gmail.com; ruckmegentlyblog@gmail.com
Website: ruckandmaulblog.blogspot.co.uk
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