[RUGBYLIST] prime cartuccie introduttive di Inghilterra NZ

[Guido Chimienti]

Mauger attacca, la RFU nega... tutta pretattica...


Following comments made by Aaron Mauger in the New Zealand media on Saturday 
morning (carried below), we have tonight released the following statement.

November 3 2006

RFU rejects racism allegations

The Rugby Football Union rejects any allegations that New Zealand players 
were racially abused by England supporters during the Investec Challenge 
match at Twickenham Stadium in November 2005.

RFU Chief Executive Francis Baron OBE said: "No allegations of any racist 
abuse were made during or after that game and it is puzzling why they have 
now been made a year later. Rugby is an inclusive game for all and the RFU 
abhors any form of discrimination or abuse based on colour, creed, sexual 
orientation or disability. The England fans who come to Twickenham are a 
credit to the ethos of rugby and we have never had any allegations of racism 
levelled against them. It is disappointing that they have been unfairly 
accused like this. I have asked the New Zealand management to investigate 
Aaron Mauger's comments and to take the appropriate action."

Ed Dawes, General Manager of the England Rugby Supporters' Club, added: "Our 
members are passionate and vocal but we have never had any reports of racist 
abuse and we reject any accusations that they would engage in such 
activity."

Any futher comment on this matter will only be made by RFU Chief Executive 
Francis Baron.

Dave Barton | National Media Manager | Rugby Football Union
Tel & fax + 44 1453 845333 | Mobile 07736 517610 | davebarton a rfu.com
______________________________________________________________________



http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3849512a1823,00.html
England fans 'racist' - Mauger
04 November 2006


Monday morning's test against England last night took on an explosive edge 
after Aaron Mauger claimed several All Blacks were racially abused by 
sections of the Twickenham crowd during last year's grand slam tour victory.
»LISTEN TO AUDIO CLIP
Mauger revealed racial abuse from a section of the Twickenham crowd was 
behind Anton Oliver's recent outburst about English fans.

And the burning fuse for a fiery encounter was shortened when England 
captain Martin Corry used British newspapers to urge the anticipated record 
crowd of 82,000 fans to make Oliver pay for his controversial remarks.

After a reasonably sedate buildup earlier in the week, the comments from 
Mauger and Corry will ensure the remaining hours between now and the 
eagerly-awaited clash in London will be as prickly as possible.

Replying to a question from an English journalist on Oliver's comments that 
English fans "are ignorant and arrogant", Mauger, who is part-Samoan, 
revealed his teammate was upset about crowd behaviour in New Zealand's 23-19 
win at Twickenham this time last year.

Mauger played in the match but Oliver was not selected and watched from the 
stands. He did not reveal the alleged racial remarks in his original 
criticism of English fans on a New Zealand website last week.

The remarks were seized upon by British newspapers, and now Corry is using 
Oliver's criticism to urge the Twickenham crowd to cheer England on to a 
famous upset victory.

Mauger's revelation will only add to the tension – particularly if Corry's 
rah-rah incites English fans to target All Blacks players.

"In terms of the crowd I think there were a few racial remarks made to a few 
of our boys last year, and a few of the guys took exception to it which is 
fair enough because there's no place for that in sport," Mauger said.

"It seemed to be the Island guys who got picked on."
Oliver also attacked the English press and Mauger confirmed the players were 
upset by the British media's reaction to the controversial Kapo O Pango 
haka.

"With the haka as well, pulling out a new haka, I don't know if that was 
received too well. (The papers) might have been quoted as being 'animals' or 
something like that, so it was a bit disheartening."

Oliver had hinted at abuse in his original comments, saying: "I gave some 
friends some tickets (to last year's test) and they were just shocked at the 
level of opprobrium aimed at our players."

Corry's remarks will only intensify the All Blacks' concerns about crowd 
security. Corry admitted Oliver's remarks had given his side extra 
motivation to end their five-test sequence without a victory, also brushing 
aside suggestions that his reshuffled side was certain to lose.

"It's not the England crowd that I know," said Corry in response to Oliver's 
condemnation.
"I hope there'll be 82,000 people there desperate to prove him wrong."
British papers also made plenty of comments attributed to recalled All 
Blacks hardman Keith Robinson.
"They (England) are bullies; that's their game – beating guys up up front," 
Robinson was reported as saying. " If you take on a bully you are going to 
be in for one. We are playing well and we have to beat up the bully, I 
suppose."

It is obvious that last year's events, as revealed by Mauger, are still a 
sore point with the All Blacks.
Mauger said the English reaction to Oliver's comments had been discussed on 
the team bus and pointed out his teammate's criticism was directed at fans – 
not the England team. "I don't think he meant to fuel the fire over the 
English or anything," Mauger said. "I think it was more directed towards the 
crowd and not towards the players at all because we have the utmost respect 
for the English side."

Mauger's revelations are likely to also hit a nerve in England, where racial 
abuse by football fans has been a problem since the first black players came 
to prominence in the 1970s and 1980s.

Ever since Eric Cantona's infamous "flying kung fu kick" incident in 1994, 
when the Manchester United football star leapt the spectator hoardings to 
attack an abusive fan, taunting of players by crowd members has been a hot 
issue.

Mauger was reluctant to elaborate on his comments, saying: "I don't want to 
talk about it too much because I'll probably get into trouble."

However, he did say the All Blacks had not encountered racial abuse from any 
other group of fans anywhere else in the world.

It is also embarrassing for England's national union, the RFU, which only 
six weeks ago censured former All Blacks halfback Mark Robinson after four 
spectators claimed he had racially abused a rival player in an English club 
game.

The RFU didn't uphold the charge, clearing Robinson of racism, but censured 
him for the use of "inappropriate language" on the field.

It is not yet known whether New Zealand team management has asked either the 
RFU or Twickenham officials to increase security on the perimeter of the 
field to prevent problems during Monday morning's clash.

A recent factsheet about racism in football, produced by the University of 
Leicester, said "racism within professional football in Britain has, 
historically, been tied to the nature of British society, in particular its 
colonialist and racist past . . . racism is constitutive of what has become 
a 'British way of life'."

Oliver attacked England's "colonialist" attitudes in his original comments.
One of the more infamous incidents in England came two years ago, when three 
fans were banned from football matches for five years after abusing 
Birmingham City striker Dwight Yorke.

Two of the men were fined $NZ1400 each, and the third $NZ500.
Yorke faced the abuse while warming up as a substitute, triggering a police 
investigation which led to five arrests. Birmingham manager Steve Bruce said 
that Yorke had been the target of "monkey" chants.

Just over a week ago in England, football's anti-racism organisation, Kick 
It Out, ended a week of action against racism, while Cricket Australia 
recently announced a zero tolerance policy on racial abuse, threatening life 
bans for offenders.

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