Prejudice against Pacific Islanders?

RoundBox11

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1667001-rugby-union-tonga-alleges-prejudice-in-irb-officiating

After Canada's recent win over Tonga which involved 1 red card for punching and 2 yellows for dangerous tackles (all for the Tongans), Tonga's head coach came out with this:

"I had a look at both. I couldn't really see why (the yellow cards were issued). It's almost like, these days you know, when a black man is tackling harder than the other, it seems to be the way.And I think some of the foreigners that are involved in our team now are starting to see that. It's just hard to battle or fight that stereotype, I guess. But I'm not taking away the fact that at times we do, I guess, make mistakes in terms of tackling — if I'm talking in general. But in today's game, I couldn't justify the two yellow cards."


Overreaction??

swiftman

I watched that game, the fight that happened, the canada player should of gotten the same as the player from Tonga but the ref and the Touchjudge didnt catch his number

Grimebox

So he's calling the ref a racist? Is that it?

Hagz

In fairness, Tonga looked like they were more the guilty party. 13 and 6 should've seen red, along with a couple more I'm sure. And the guy who saw red completely deserved it. The fight had died down at the stage where he threw a punch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PPrz_FRkqv0

justsomebloke

Truthfully he should be brought up for bringing the game into disrepute.

They were stupid high shoulder tackles that lead to the yellows, can't comment on the red as you can't see it.

So to bring the race card into it, is pathetic and I hope the IRB come down hard on him

totallegend

His comments are like a Beatrix Potter story compared to previous examples:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/rugbyunion/rugby-world-cup/8800602/Rugby-World-Cup-Samoas-Eliota-Sapolu-Fuimaono-accuses-referee-Nigel-Owens-of-being-racist-on-Twitter.html

who_me

Well, to be fair there is a bit of bias/prejudice regarding PI sides, when it comes to tackling. As soon as the first late/high/hard tackle goes in, someone will comment about PI'ers and their reputation for hard/illegal tackling. Whether that's racism, or an unjustified stereotype, or a valid observation is.. anyone's guess.

[Jackass]

Canadian player didn't get carded as they didn't get the number. No.1 got red carded as he threw a punch AFTER the fight was broken up, and rightly so and should see a lengthy ban.

For the coach to say that is nothing short of an absolute disgrace and he should receive a lengthy ban also.

Regarding cards for pacific islanders specifically (trying saying that 5 times in a row quickly!), granted I haven't seen them a massive amount outside of playing European sides, but from what I have seen, the majority of their cards in the tackle come from them being massively physical, but technically poor, most commonly things like massive hits but without wrapping the arms, which is a yellow card offence if you are not attempting to make a tackle by how it is defined (wrapping the arms) and are just looking to damage the player.

Losty Dublin

Exactly Jackass; they have but themselves to blame here. I saw the game the other night and the red card count should have been higher but Canada were lucky; indeed the second yellow card awarded was close to red given how the player led with his shoulder with no intent to wrap arms for a tackle

As the South Sea teams stand, they seem to want to play a hybrid game of union, league, sevens and murderball and they have little will to evolve with the game. It's little wonder that their nations have been left behind in the last decade and till their outlook changes their fortunes won't either.

Grimebox

To add to it, three Tonga players have been banned

http://www.thisisamericanrugby.com/2013/06/three-tongan-players-banned-will-miss.html?utm_source=BP_recent

trouttrout

Hope the clown of a coach gets banned too

spank_inferno

slightly unrelated, but can it be argued that the pacific islands get poorly treated by the IRB wrt NZ poaching their talented players?

CIARAN_BOYLE

spank_inferno wrote: »

slightly unrelated, but can it be argued that the pacific islands get poorly treated by the IRB wrt NZ poaching their talented players?

considering that there was 15 NZ born players in the Samoan squad for last world cup I don't think that the pacific islands are treated poorly in regard to poaching

irishbucsfan

spank_inferno wrote: »

slightly unrelated, but can it be argued that the pacific islands get poorly treated by the IRB wrt NZ poaching their talented players?

How many times is this myth going to be posted around here!?

Can we have an auto filter for all posts which include the words "zealand" "pacific" and "poach" please?

Swan Curry

He's going down the wrong track with accusations of racism,but the Pacific Islands do often get the ****ty end of the stick from the IRB.The scheduling in the World Cup is one example,but what really annoyed me was the IRB refusing to do anything about French clubs paying Pacific Islanders to not play in the World Cup.It seems to be ok for clubs to abuse their financial position as long as they're not big international teams that suffer.

Risteard

irishbucsfan wrote: »

How many times is this myth going to be posted around here!?

Can we have an auto filter for all posts which include the words "zealand" "pacific" and "poach" please?

Let's request a sticky. Something along the lines of "Think New Zealand Poach Islanders? Look Here before posting" or just add it to the charter.

Swiwi

spank_inferno wrote: »

slightly unrelated, but can it be argued that the pacific islands get poorly treated by the IRB wrt NZ poaching their talented players?

An education for spank inferno in the form of a series of questions

1) What is an Irishman
2) What is a New Zealander
3) If I am born in America to Irish parents, am I American, Irish or Irish American. Did America poach me from Ireland.
4) If I am born in NZ to Samoan parents, am I Samoan, Kiwi, or Kiwi Samoan. Did NZ poach me from Samoa.
5) Does Ireland have a history of emigration
6) Do the Pacific Islands have a history of emigration
7) Do many Americans with Irish heritage live in Boston
8) Do many Kiwis with PI heritage live in Auckland
9) Do all Irish have pasty white skin, freckles and ginger hair
10) Are all Kiwis white skinned, and with British and Irish forebears (not forgetting those Maori chaps)

And so on...

Grimebox

So what your saying Swiwi is that Australia and NZ did in fact poach all of their players from Europe hundreds of years ago?

Swiwi

Grimebox wrote: »

So what your saying Swiwi is that Australia and NZ did in fact poach all of their players from Europe hundreds of years ago?

Spot on Grimebox. It is widely known that Maori Chieftains were resisting all of Hobsons attempts to trade 100 cigarettes, 10 blankets, and 2 bottles of rum for British sovereignty and large swathes of land covered in the finest Kauri timber.

However, in a masterclass in diplomacy, they rapidly yielded once he threw a decent First XV into the bargain.

Thud

Swiwi wrote: »

An education for spank inferno in the form of a series of questions

1) What is an Irishman
2) What is a New Zealander
3) If I am born in America to Irish parents, am I American, Irish or Irish American. Did America poach me from Ireland.
4) If I am born in NZ to Samoan parents, am I Samoan, Kiwi, or Kiwi Samoan. Did NZ poach me from Samoa.
5) Does Ireland have a history of emigration
6) Do the Pacific Islands have a history of emigration
7) Do many Americans with Irish heritage live in Boston
8) Do many Kiwis with PI heritage live in Auckland
9) Do all Irish have pasty white skin, freckles and ginger hair
10) Are all Kiwis white skinned, and with British and Irish forebears (not forgetting those Maori chaps)

And so on...

but if you spend 3 years in a country you magically become from that country so it ok then.......how long you been here? you must Swirish by now?

Bridge93

Maybe they do get a rough end of the stick at times but sure they don't help themselves. In the last week we saw what the Tonga first XV did but it's not only them. The Fiji u20s were a disgrace against NZ and had something like 2 reds and 2 yellows and gave away 10 penalties against Ireland in the first 30 mins.

Swiwi

Thud wrote: »

but if you spend 3 years in a country you magically become from that country so it ok then.......how long you been here? you must Swirish by now?

Not too far off 10 years. However I don't harbour aspirations of playing rugby for Ireland...