IRB to throw book at Samoan bad boy
Controversial Samoa centre Eliota Fuimaono Sapolu remained provisionally suspended from all rugby after disciplinary proceedings against him were adjourned until October 15.
Sapolu was banned on Tuesday after calling Welsh referee Nigel Owens “racist” in a Twitter message following a 13-5 World Cup defeat by South Africa last week that ended Samoa’s involvement in the tournament.
It was the latest outspoken Twitter post from Sapolu who, after Samoa’s loss to Wales, said World Cup organisers were guilty of “slavery” and a “holocaust” for the way teams such as his had to play twice in four days while the Welsh had a week off.
Sapolu’s ban was imposed after he failed to turn up to Tuesday’s original proceedings in Auckland.
When the hearing reconvened Wednesday, independent International Rugby Board (IRB) judicial officer Jeff Blackett of England accepted Sapolu’s request for a fresh adjournment on the grounds he needed more time to consider the charges against him and to accommodate a commitment to attend a Samoa government function welcoming back the Samoa team over the weekend.
An IRB statement issued Wednesday stressed: “Mr Fuimaono Sapolu remains provisionally suspended from all participation in the game of Rugby Union until the rescheduled hearing on October 15.”
The IRB have been on the receiving end of some vitriolic Twitter posts from Sapolu and their statement said they had asked the outspoken Gloucester midfielder to make no public comment while his case was still being considered.
“It is inappropriate for RWCL (Rugby World Cup Limited)/IRB to make further comment on this case pending resolution of the proceedings,” the statement said.
“Fuimaono Sapolu was requested to refrain from further comment on the case in order to preserve the integrity of the proceedings.”
Sapolu previously said in a television interview on Tuesday his failure to turn up to the original hearing was an oversight, not a snub, explaining: “I’ve only recently found out there was a hearing… I had absolutely no idea.”
But a statement issued by the Samoa Rugby Union on Wednesday, before the hearing resumed, said they had made numerous efforts to reach him.
Sapolu added Tuesday that Samoa “always get bad referees, we always get the stereotype that we don’t know how to play rugby, the stereotype that we’re thugs, we’re violent, we’re stupid — we always get that”.
He also defended his previous reference to the Holocaust.
“When you get apartheid, when you get the Holocaust, when you get slavery, you have a group of people treating another group of people like crap, a group of people thinking they’re more superior and they can do whatever they want.
“Now obviously in this instance there wasn’t a culling of six million Samoans or six million Jews – sorry, six million rugby players – but essentially the root of that evil was ‘I am allowed to treat this person like shit’.
“So there’s a parallel there, albeit a very small one.”
But Samoa officials, who insisted they were grateful for the “ongoing commitment” of the IRB to Pacific Islands rugby, said the 30-year-old Sapolu’s latest remarks were “totally unrepresentative” and “exceptionally disappointing”.
AFP
