London (AFP) – World Rugby have upheld England’s claim that their players were subjected to racist abuse from fans during a recent tour match in Argentina. England made an official complaint about the taunts on July 15, three days after winning 22-17 at Estadio Bicentenario in San Juan.
World Rugby said it had worked with the Argentinian rugby federation to develop an action plan to enhance their operations, educate fans and help prevent further incidents. Despite conducting an “immediate and thorough investigation” involving witness statements and video analysis, world rugby’s governing body was unable to identify the individuals responsible.
Related news
“There is no place in rugby or society for discrimination, abuse or hate speech, and any complaint of discrimination is taken extremely seriously,” a World Rugby statement said. “While it is clear that an incident took place, we regret that the individuals responsible could not be identified.”
Gabriel Travaglini, president of the Union Argentina de Rugby, condemned the abuse. “Upon learning of the incidents, intense efforts were made to identify the small group of five or seven individuals responsible within a crowd of over 20,000 spectators,” he said. “Unfortunately, despite an exhaustive search, it was not possible to identify the perpetrators.”
“We will continue to work collaboratively with World Rugby to educate the fans and eradicate any similar manifestations in the future, ensuring that our events are spaces of respect and inclusion for everyone.”
England completed a 2-0 series win over Argentina with the victory before ending their tour with a win against the United States in Washington on Saturday.
© 2024 AFP
