Reports indicate that Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu, a centre for Samoa, has threatened to leave rugby after being handed a six-month suspended ban for his allegations of racism and bias against referee Nigel Owens, following his team’s exit from the World Cup.
Throughout the tournament, Fuimaono Sapolu made several contentious posts on Twitter, including one after a 13-5 loss to the reigning champions, South Africa. In those posts, he criticized Owens’ officiating, which resulted in Owens’ Facebook page being flooded with abusive remarks post-match.
“I comprehend the animosity!! Haha, good luck you racist biased individual,” tweeted the 30-year-old. “Get s.a (South Africa) into the next round. The intent was clear. Looking forward to meeting irb (International Rugby Board) members publicly.”
A reassembled disciplinary panel convened on Saturday, which had previously provisionally banned Fuimaono Sapolu from all rugby activities, rejected his claims against the Welsh referee Owens.
The ruling stated that the midfielder’s six-month suspension, valid for two years, would be enforced unless he provides a “full and unconditional apology to Nigel Owens and an unconditional retraction of any criticism directed at him.”
Additionally, he was mandated to complete at least 100 hours of community service in rugby within Samoa over the next year and to pass an approved referee course within three months.
However, Fuimaono Sapolu, who is affiliated with the Gloucester club in England, expressed to New Zealand’s Sunday Star-Times: “I have no desire to continue playing rugby.”
“It is the most beautiful sport in the world… To me, it remains a beautiful sport, but it unfortunately has numerous issues that need addressing for it to genuinely become a democratic sport. I do not feel inclined to partake in rugby anymore.”
Jeff Blackett, an independent judicial officer from England who presided over Sapolu’s case, found the comments made about Owens to “impugn his integrity and reputation both as a referee and as a man.”
Blackett characterized the player’s actions towards Owens as “offensive,” asserting that there was “absolutely no evidence that the referee showed bias by favoring one side over the other.”
“To suggest Nigel Owens has racist tendencies towards Samoans is utterly inappropriate,” Blackett stated.
Earlier during the tournament, following Samoa’s defeat to Wales, Fuimaono Sapolu used Twitter to accuse the World Cup organizers of “slavery” and a “holocaust,” criticizing the scheduling that forced teams like his to play twice within four days, while Wales had a seven-day break between matches.
He further criticized the IRB for failing to observe a moment of silence during Samoa’s game on the anniversary of the devastating 2009 tsunami while the United States had one for the Eagles on the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
by Buford Balony
