Racism at S.A Rugby games ??? (Sunday Times Letter)

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Darth Garth

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BLACKS are still abused, threatened, sworn at and generally made to feel unwelcome by whites at rugby stadiums. My family and I attended all the Cheetahs’ games at Vodacom Park last season and we had to go through a lot of abuse:

My wife was hit in the face by ice thrown from a suite (the owners did, however, take action against the perpetrators).

We were told many times by white supporters that we did not belong at their stadium and must leave to support our own sports.

During the Cheetahs-Sharks semifinal, my fellow Cheetahs’ supporters asked my daughters, aged 18 and 14, whether they thought they were in Heidedal, the “coloured suburb”; and during the final against Die Bulle, a white man, sitting with his wife, said to my 14-year-old daughter that she was “a ******” and didn’t belong there.

Recently, when we were on our way to a match, one of my daughters told me she never wanted to set foot at a rugby game again because of the abuse . We still went, but what a shocker when we were again confronted by our fellow Cheetahs’ supporters who jeered us and told us to go and support “our sport” because we were unwelcome at “their sport”.

What irks me the most is that we are always dressed in full Cheetahs’ gear, which we buy, shout our lungs out in support of the team and, at the end of the day, we are chased away by white Cheetahs’ supporters just because we are black.

I know of people who don’t attend games any more because of the drunkenness and rudeness of their fellow whites.

I am sick of this and have decided that the whites can keep their rugby and their stadium. We will only attend soccer, where the fans are far better mannered and tolerant.

Whites have a lot to learn from the “Siwelele” (Bloemfontein Celtic) supporters right under their noses.

Hadley Goliath, Bloemfontein

Sports editor’s note: Goliath met Harold Verster, president of Free State Rugby, this week to discuss racism at the stadium.

Hadley wins R500 for the week’s best letter.

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/article.aspx?ID=389610
 
Interesting read. Wonder what action will be taken, this is clearly unacceptable.
 
marine1 said:
Tibby I thought you were coloured not black and your wife was white.
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Wtf does his race have to do with the letter or the thread?

The letter isn't written by tibby if that's what you thought, it's an extract from the Sunday Times.
 
Sorry thought he wrote it will edit my post. Apologies to Tibby. What I was assuming (wrongly) was that maybe some people in SA do not approve of multi racial marriages. That was my point I was trying to make.
 
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I've never been and never will be a rugby supporter mainly because the players and the supporters seem to be a bunch of bullies.
The typical thick necked, arrogant, mucho, ego driven pricks who think they're God's gift to mankind.
I'd rather watch the grass grow on a cricket pitch.
 
marine1 said:
Sorry thought he wrote it will edit my post. Apologies to Tibby. What I was assuming (wrongly) was that maybe some people in SA do not approve of multi racial marriages. That was my point I was trying to make.
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Since Tibby brought up race in the first place, it would be pertinent to ask him what race he was. No need to get sensitive about that.

If he is coloured and his wife is white, doesn't that make the children white?:rolleyes:
Think about that Tibby and give us your answer. You will see what a nonsense all this labelling is.

In fact I blame this sad incident on the government. They are always pointing out race as a classification of S.Africans. The white people are gatvol of being marginalised, so I predict that more and more things such as this one will happen.

You can't have it both ways. Either you have Mandela's rainbow nation or you can have a new apartheid. Mbeki has already chosen, so Tibby must deal with or make his own complaint.
 
If the govt stopped widening the racial divide by enforcing racist laws things like this would become less common.

This is simply a side effect of a govt that supports a racial divide. If the govt shifts their primary focus from black and white to right and wrong things will change.

In a country where the ruling party passes laws that create hate, hate is what you'll get.

Racism is wrong no matter if it's whites abusing blacks at a rugby game or a employer refusing to look at your CV because your white.

Racism is wrong and it's crippling our country but unfortuonately the ppl seem to be taking their lead from the govt.
 
I agree with what you say Paul S about bullies -- regardless of the circumstance it should never be tolerated.

People act surprised when this happens though "the horror! the shock!" ?

This is what happens when politics (the Gov) interfere with sports. Racism
grows. The rugby crowd are a ruff bunch! thugs many of them too... but its no different in the soccer stadiums. I've heard numerous reports and read stories of people throwing stones (not ice), bricks, smocking pot, drinking beer etc. Its not a place where kids can go watch a soccer match. And by that I mean 'black' kids.

The whole notion and argument of a white-against-black rugby crowd just holds no weight when you look at the bigger picture. There is always going to be select individuals that ruin it. Sad but true.
 
Well... you have to look at the examples...

Our government wants more 'representative' rugby teams. LOL You have to wonder why people get angry... They put two black woman in the rugby management. Off course, you would wonder if perhaps there's aren't more 'suitable' people. You know like people who actually PLAYED rugby in their life.

The monkies in our so-called 'government' is responsible for a situation that makes races hate each other even more. They supposedly stopped 'apartheid.'

At least the guys who support the rugby so steadfast aren't raping and murdering blacks because they're black. Seriously there are much worse things in this country than being sworn at, at a rugby game.
 
Paul_S said:
I've never been and never will be a rugby supporter mainly because the players and the supporters seem to be a bunch of bullies.
The typical thick necked, arrogant, mucho, ego driven pricks who think they're God's gift to mankind.
I'd rather watch the grass grow on a cricket pitch.
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You arrogant fck, Don't you dare tar us all with the same brush!
Go and watch the fckng grass grow. Prck!
 
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Tanarri said:
Well... you have to look at the examples...

Our government wants more 'representative' rugby teams. LOL You have to wonder why people get angry... They put two black woman in the rugby management. Off course, you would wonder if perhaps there's aren't more 'suitable' people. You know like people who actually PLAYED rugby in their life.

The monkies in our so-called 'government' is responsible for a situation that makes races hate each other even more. They supposedly stopped 'apartheid.'

At least the guys who support the rugby so steadfast aren't raping and murdering blacks because they're black. Seriously there are much worse things in this country than being sworn at, at a rugby game.
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fully agree with you.

i once got an object on my head at a rugby game that was thrown by a white spectator/supporter for the other team .. did i complain ?? NO ..
i took it as a man...

it's like driving to work and you will be guaranteed to get cut off by a "driver"

it's like cheese on pizza ... it's the way it is ....
Walk into a skanky pub and you will crawl out ... GUARANTEED fact of life ...
 
Mmm. Wonder why Tibby brought up this point in the first place. Wonder about his sinister agenda! Anyway I am sure he does also not attend rugby games himself. My take is there was a thread with similar tone just as recemt and this is his "follow" up on it! He wants to make a point and discredit all rugby supporters!
 
liancat said:
People act surprised when this happens though "the horror! the shock!" ?

This is what happens when politics (the Gov) interfere with sports. Racism
grows. The rugby crowd are a ruff bunch! thugs many of them too... but its no different in the soccer stadiums. I've heard numerous reports and read stories of people throwing stones (not ice), bricks, smocking pot, drinking beer etc. Its not a place where kids can go watch a soccer match. And by that I mean 'black' kids.

The whole notion and argument of a white-against-black rugby crowd just holds no weight when you look at the bigger picture. There is always going to be select individuals that ruin it. Sad but true.
Click to expand...

You seen to suggest that the GOV is partly to blame here. You seem to do as Paul S does and tar all rugby spectators with the same brush. Then you blame select individuals.

Which is it then? There is no excuse, absolutly no excuse for this behaviour.
We are not all the same and I have witnessed individuals at Kings Park stand up to the extremely smalll percentage of match day supporters who make themselves guilty of racism.

I don't go to soccer matches. I don't feel it is safe for me to do so. I therefore can't comment on behaviour there.

Bold - Bullsht. Supply your evidence. I believe that 45% of the match day support are woman. Now I know some women can be ruff as you put it but I doubt "many are thugs.

I'll tell you too that at Kings Park try to be family orientated. I doubt that the aprox 10% (I understand) match day support that is under 14, that many can already be labeled thugs or ruff for that matter.

Have you ever been to one of our grand stadia? Doubt it.
 
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froggytoo said:
Mmm. Wonder why Tibby brought up this point in the first place. Wonder about his sinister agenda! Anyway I am sure he does also not attend rugby games himself. My take is there was a thread with similar tone just as recemt and this is his "follow" up on it! He wants to make a point and discredit all rugby supporters!
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hmmm .... looks like it ....

lets see ...South-African soccer ?? hmmm burning down a stadiums ?? ripping out seats .... glass bottles flying ... and they complain about one ice block on a black man's head at a rugby game ???

typical .... lets just all be against the whites ...
 
Well I was shocked by the letter, but nowhere near as much by the attitudes of the forumites.

I stopped going to Rugby at Ellis park because the supporters are p!ssed on spook and diesel and too busy getting into fights or racially abusing other people. I obviously live quite a sheltered life, because where I work and in my social circle people treat people with respect no matter what their race. I was surprised by the neanderthals that crawl out of the woodwork at these games.

In this thread, no-one seems to condemn the racist actions of the cheetah supporters (and how can they not be condemned?), but rather choose to attack tibby for posting the article. it's time people learned that racism is wrong, whether it is black on white or vice versa. The government has policies you don't agree with? Fine. But don't take it out on somebody unconnected.

And pupa, how is it that you've managed 420 posts as froggytoo without being banned? Is it a record?
 
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DagegeN said:
hmmm .... looks like it ....

lets see ...South-African soccer ?? hmmm burning down a stadiums ?? ripping out seats .... glass bottles flying ... and they complain about one ice block on a black man's head at a rugby game ???

typical .... lets just all be against the whites ...
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What's your point? That one justifies the other? Please...it's time to grow up. The complaint is about rugby supporters, not soccer supporters - stick to the topic.
 
arf9999 said:
Well I was shocked by the letter, but nowhere near as much by the attitudes of the forumites.

I stopped going to Rugby at Ellis park because the supporters are p!ssed on spook and diesel and too busy getting into fights or racially abusing other people. I obviously live quite a sheltered life, because where I work and in my social circle people treat people with respect no matter what their race. I was surprised by the neaderthals that crawl out of the woodwork at these games.

In this thread, no-one seems to condemn the racist actions of the cheetah supporters (and how can they not be condemned?), but rather choose to attack tibby for posting the article. it's time people learned that racism is wrong, whether it is black on white or vice versa. The government has policies you don't agree with? Fine. But don't take it out on somebody unconnected.
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Hear, hear.

I also agree that Ellis Park is 'hard' on visiting fans. I've watched the Sharks there twice and will not return. I understand that you can no longer drink alcohol in the stands. Has it helped?
 
arf9999 said:
Well I was shocked by the letter, but nowhere near as much by the attitudes of the forumites.

The government has polocies you don't agree with? Fine. But don't take it out on somebody unconnected.
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Exactly, I knew that it was bound to end up being a "blame the government" thread. They don't seem to be saying that the behaviour of these supporters is wrong, but rather advocate it by blaming it on government policy. Whether or not a person agrees with government policy has absolutely no bearing on the manner in which an innocent person should be treated. It's disgusting if you ask me, and some of you people should be ashamed - don't bitch about what a mess this country is when you condone rotten behaviour yourselves.
 
arf9999 said:
What's your point? That one justifies the other? Please...it's time to grow up. The complaint is about rugby supporters, not soccer supporters - stick to the topic.
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oih please don't come a boss your short man syndrome here at me.
i was pointing out that a few black rugby supporters get mauled by whites and it's in the news paper ...
do you know how many whites get mauled at a rugby game ?? and does an article appear in the newspaper ?? NO .... so ..

so haal daai blinders van jou ou oë af en kyk 'n bietjie wat om jou aan gaan.
 
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