Samoa Centre At It Again
Oct 06,2011
Samoa's Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu has again put himself on a collision course with rugby's overlords after another Twitter tirade, this time for not acknowledging his country's worst natural disaster.
"Our dead not good enough" he said in a message sent Thursday, noting there was a minute's silence before the United States' World Cup game against Ireland on the anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks.
Sapolu, provisionally suspended from all rugby for calling Welsh referee Nigel Owen "racist", criticised the lack of a memorial for Samoa when they played on the anniversary of a destructive tsunami which claimed 143 lives.
"Minute of silence for USA for 9/11, nothing for Samoa for tsunami. Both games played anniversary days. Our dead not good enough."
However, an International Rugby Board (IRB) spokesman told AFP on Thursday they had acknowledged the tsunami, saying: "As agreed with the Samoa Rugby Union, the date was respectfully commemorated with a public address immediately prior to kick-off and also the wearing of black armbands to remember those who tragically lost their lives."
Sapolu has been in hot water with the IRB for his outbursts throughout the tournament, which began when he said his side was being exploited with a tough schedule which he likened to "slavery" and "the Holocaust".
He escaped punishment then when Samoan officials apologised, but was suspended from all rugby this week when he failed to appear at a disciplinary hearing over his outburst about Owens.
The criticism of the referee followed a 13-5 defeat by South Africa that ended Samoa's involvement in the World Cup.
The Gloucester midfielder showed up at a reconvened hearing on Wednesday and the IRB agreed to his request to have proceedings rescheduled until October 15 but said his suspension would stand until then.
He was also told "to refrain from further comment on the case" but the directive did not appear to include remarks about other issues.
Samoa played South Africa on the anniversary of the September 29, 2009, tsumami which pounded into the Pacific island nation, killing 143 people, and also claiming 34 lives in American Samoa and nine in Tonga.
Sapolu told reporters before that game how the devastation had left an indelible mark on a tight-knit community.
"We think about that before every game. We think about that every day. That is part of our history," he said.
AFP
Comments (3)
Oct 07, 2011 at 03:46:16
Eish bro! Shut up already. We all (anyone outside of SA) know the Samoan team were unfairly penalised during the Bokke V Samoa game (Lemi penalised, Williams red card for an open handed slap on soccer diver Heinricho Brussoldino) and share your gripe about the unfair schedule on the tier 2 nations but enough is enough. Sapolu would have got far more support if he'd just made his points without throwing in all the inflammatory rhetoric. I can't understand how an intelligent and articulate man (he is a lawyer) can be such an ignorant idiot. Apartheid, Holocaust, Racism........Puh-lease!!!
Noone believes the IRB has a racist agenda. Sure, they (the IRB) may be guilty of protecting the top 8 nations and unfairly scheduling games to cater to the lucrative SA'n, NH television markets but that aint racist bro. Corrupt? nepotistic? greedy and crooked?...maybe...... but not racist bro. Sapolu sounds like Juju with his precious racist mantra shouted at the faintest (imagined) whiff of inequity. Its like when Caster Semenya was asked to comply with blood tests to confirm her sex and Malema cried RACIST. Never mind that cullerts/bleks are well represented in athletics, Juju still wants us to believe that non whites are treated unfairly. Sheeesh! Its all a joke now and robs the real victims of real racism of a credible platform. Its almost like the boy who cried wolf.
Anyways, the Welsh ref may have unfairly officiated the game giving SA the benefit of some highly suspicious calls (can anyone say Broderbund?) but that's probably because he still had a dog in the fight (the Welsh team) and wanted to ensure their (Wales) QF berth was secured by a Samoan loss. Wales' subsequent result against Fiji meant Owens' (a Taffy) fortuitous officiating wasnt necessary but he wasnt to know that at the time and it does appear as though Nigel reffed the game with Wales QF qualification in the back of his mind.
As far as the minute silence for the Americans....yeah well, I think that is another valid point from Sapolu. I would have thought the tsunami deaths were far more relevant and fresh in the minds of the NZ/Pacific/Australian public. I understand the RWC caters to the global audience but must we really pander to and mourn the deaths of Americans from over 10 years ago? Who makes those calls anyway regarding which tragedies we mourn and which ones dont make the cut? As with everything Sapolu has said over recent weeks, it all makes sense and there is more than a hint of truth to his claims. He just needed to voice them in a more constructive and user-friendly manner rather than further alienate/ostricize himself from the movers and shakers in world rugby administration. Noone will take him seriously now and justified grievances have been obfuscated and muddied by all his hyperbolous ranting.
Oct 07, 2011 at 09:15:30
I agree with NJ - just ban the fuckwit permanently!!!
Hey nukefree - enough now on the Bok/Samoa game as well....the whole game was not well controlled by the ref and it was a 50/50 call on a lot of decisions/aggression going both ways, that's why the game got to that state. Whoever thought Fiji was going to win against Wales(in their current form) was dreaming anyway. Game over...done and dusted....move on....
As for this Sapolu dude...I will tell you why he is so "ignorant"...I would rather call him arrogant...exactly for the fact that he is a lawyer....pushing the limits and technicalities where they like....because he "can"...."because he is the law"....he is nothing but a disgrace to the game and should be banned for life!
Regarding the minute of silence - did anyone ask the organizers to arrange it for the tsunami victims?? If they did and it was declined then yeah, he has a valid point and the organizers are fuckwits but if nobody asked for it to be arranged then sorry mate....this dude has no argument and is a total moron...
Oct 07, 2011 at 01:00:03
Just ban this fuck wit permanently...