Nigel Owens awards a penalty try against the All Blacks An English rugby fan has written to UK paper The Guardian in disgust at the “nasty, foul-mouthed, racist, homophobic abuse” he heard directed at openly-gay referee Nigel Owens during the All Blacks’ test against England on the weekend. “As a lifelong rugby fan, a straight man in his 60s, I could not believe that a bunch of men half my age watching a rugby match in the 21st century could be capable of hurling such nasty, foul-mouthed, racist, homophobic abuse at an openly gay match official,” Keith Wilson, from Loversall in South Yorkshire writes about his experience at Twickenham. “My equally disgusted son is in 30s, but next to him, hearing this vitriol, was a little boy; I felt ashamed.” Wilson says he spoke to the men after the match, “but they were not in a fit state to engage in sensible discussion”. He believes that if they had been at a football game, where there are strict crowd behaviour rules, they may have been thrown out. “There was a time when you could trust rugby supporters to take alcohol into a game and behave like grownups. The time has come to treat rugby louts like football louts – no alcohol in the ground, zero tolerance to bigots,” he finishes. Homophobic abuse of referees and players can also be common at rugby games held in New Zealand. Last year Auckland woman Hannah Spyskma blew the whistle on a group of fans at Eden Park who told her "If you don't like us using the word faggot then don't come to the footy - because it's just part of the game".
Credit: GayNZ.com Daily News staff
First published: Wednesday, 12th November 2014 - 7:42am