Samoa Centre Calls Ref 'Racist'
Oct 01,2011
The Samoan player who compared the World Cup to "slavery" was at the centre of another row on Saturday when he accused a referee of being racist and biased in an expletive-filled Twitter rant.
Centre Eliota Sapolu-Fuimaono took to the micro-messaging site with an angry tirade against Welsh referee Nigel Owens and the International Rugby Board (IRB) after Samoa's 13-5 loss to South Africa, which ended their quarter-final hopes.
Owens' Facebook page was also defaced by irate and offensive messages among more than 300 comments posted by members of the public after the game.
Sapolu-Fuimaono, who mentioned that he was drinking and appeared to announce his international retirement, claimed Samoa were the victim of a conspiracy and directed fire at Owens after several other contributors criticised the referee.
"I can understand the hate!! Haha good luck u racist biased prick," tweeted the 30-year-old Sapolu Fuimaono, who plays for English club Gloucester.
"Get s.a into next round. The plan was obvious. Can't wait 2 meet irb members in public," he added.
The comments come after Sapolu-Fuimaono was forced to apologise for comparing the World Cup to "slavery", "apartheid" and even the "holocaust" after Samoa had only a few days to prepare for their key game against Wales, which they lost.
Samoa have also been embroiled in controversy after winger Alesana Tuilagi was heavily fined for wearing the wrong sort of mouthguard, an incident which prompted a minor outcry in New Zealand and various offers to pay the sanction.
Samoa threatened a major upset in Friday's final pool match against defending champions South Africa but David Lemi was harshly penalised as they attacked during the second half, and fullback Paul Williams was sent off for striking Heinrich Brussow in the face.
"wasn't about world cup today. RWC has been invalidated when they give us half the rest as the rich. It was about us v world champs," Sapolu-Fuimaono tweeted.
"I'm proud to be Samoan! Irb, my bum, kiss it!" he said.
Captain Mahonri Schwalger also criticised the performance of Owens after the game, calling the refereeing "one-way".
"I thought the ref was pretty hard on us," he said after the game. "There was a lot of times when they were slowing our ball down and for me it's got to be fair on us as well and make sure he gives us a chance as well.
"I felt like it was one way, but we can't change the result, it's done."
Owens admitted on Saturday that it was the hardest game he had overseen, but added that he had "no regrets". He did not mention the stream of vitriolic messages on his Facebook page.
"That was the hardest game I have ever had to ref. Did my best and no regrets. Will review later," Owens tweeted.
Samoa's team manager Matthew Vaea Tagitau, the IRB and tournament organisers were not immediately available for comment about the latest outburst.
But Samoa's media spokesman Fatu Tauafiafi said the squad was now dispersed with many players heading home, adding that it would be up to the IRB to investigate.
However, he said New Zealand television channel TV3 had raised NZ$10,000 (US$7,600) to pay Tuilagi's mouthguard fine, while reports said the equipment's manufacturer had also offered to contribute.
Samoa had stopped short of banning players from Twitter after Sapolu-Fuimaono’s "holocaust" rant, with assistant coach Tom Coventry saying, "we try not to gag anyone".
SAPA
Comments (11)
Oct 01, 2011 at 16:40:09
Absolutely no class at all. These guys have got a chip on their shoulder about being a poor island nation who are not getting a chance by the rest of the world because..... What a crock of horse shit!!!
These guys are badly managed and are misled by people with hidden agendas... There's got to be a twisted plot in there somewhere, cos they are behaving very badly and I'm getting put off these blokes now.
Oct 01, 2011 at 17:32:28
Its a disgrace, I have always supported Samoa when playing other teams, this was uncalled for, if any thing, we are the ones who should be ticked off with the ref letting Samoa use dirty tactics at will.
Oct 01, 2011 at 19:43:19
ha ha people will use any excuse to let them cope with loss...looser!
Oct 01, 2011 at 19:51:14
wow what a disgrace to his country. Why not just accept the fact that Samoa didnt play good enough and poor discipline cost them the game like normal rugby player would do.
Oct 01, 2011 at 21:32:36
To say the standard of refereeing at the world cup has been poor would be giving the refs a compliment. Mr Paddy O'Brien and the IRB will be winning no converts to rugby union! The players have to concentrate more on how the refs interpret the laws than playing the game! This is screwing the game up! Tackle area rucks and mauls binding at scrum time collapsed scrums and mauls its a bloody lottery!!!
I wonder how Nigel Owen got given this game for starters He is Welsh and Sa, Wales and Samoa had a lot riding on this game. Conflict of interest. Samoa have nothing to complain about they need to learn how to play rugby not wrestlemania if the refs had to blow them for illegal tackling they would have no players on the field!! One arm swinging tackles and shoulder charges!
Oct 01, 2011 at 23:08:32
Must be honest...
the mouthguard issue isa total farce!
I mean for F sakes...
Its a mouth guard!
He was fined because it didnt have an endoresed sponsors name in it!
Ridiculous!
Oct 01, 2011 at 23:12:58
Shame you poor pathetic idiot...you don't only have a chip on your shoulder, you've got king kong on your back! This guy should be heavily fined and possibly banned from all forms of the game...wake up Samoa, the game is not about taking people's heads off in tackles any more....
Oct 01, 2011 at 23:15:24
Must agree, the mouthguard issue is ridiculous...England should have been fined for the ball issue!
Oct 02, 2011 at 08:22:15
... The game of rugby is a whole lot bigger than bloody 'mouth guards', it's certainly bigger than any player or team for that matter. Prior to the Samoa vs. South Africa clash I was really looking forward to a tough, hard and exciting game of rugby. I had nothing but respect for Samoa and had always admired them for their tenacity and tallent. Alas no more, after their thuggish unsportman like performance, and whinging about the referee post game I (and I'm sure many other rugby supporters) have lost a lot of respect for them ...
Oct 01, 2011 at 14:11:00
wow how small are these guys brains. Such a pity when idiots like this act like fools and bombard accusations. The first they could think of is the old boring racist comment.Yawn yawn boring boring and to be perfectly honest l couldnt give a rats arse about how they feel and neither does the educated rugby world. Those Samoan players that have ranted need to grow up and live in the real world as no one gives a sh%t