Origin Star Quits Over Racist Sledge By Assistant Coach

Rugby League star Timana Tahu has quit the NSW State of Origin team after assistant coach, Andrew Johns, made a racist comment during training.

While leading a team training session analysing video footage of Aboriginal player Greg Inglis, Johns reportedly told NSW players, “You must shut that black c… down.”

It is believed that Tahu privately simmered over Johns’ comments for two days before he decided to quit the NSW team in protest. While Tahu is being hailed as a hero, and rightly so, Johns has quit his coaching role and apologised.

Rugby League players have rallied around Johns, criticising his comments but reassuring us that he is not a racist. It’s time for these players to get real - if John’s actions don’t make him a racist then I don’t know what does.

Tahu isn’t the first Rugby League player outraged by racism in the game. Anthony Mundine fought a drawn out battle to pursue Barry Ward for racist taunts he made in 1998. Ward was eventually fined $10 000 by the sport which was later halved. Mundine was outraged. In 2009 after a series of similar racist sledges against other players, Mundine called on the ARL to take more action to stamp out racism in the sport.

Although players like Mundine have stood up time and time again and lodged complaints against racist slurs on the field, Tahu’s resignation has shone the spotlight well and truly on racism in sport and commentators are predicting that this will be a watershed moment for League.

It is no surprise that racism is alive and well in sport today. Sports players’ behaviour reflect society’s and with the continued discrimination of Aboriginal people by the Rudd Government including the expansion of the racist Northern Territory Intervention, racism is alive and well in Australian society. By continuing discrimination from the top, racist comments like those from Johns are legitimised.

Tahu joins a long list of courageous sportspeople including Jackie Robinson, Muhammad Ali, Tommie Smith and John Carlos who have stood up against racism and made an impact in the wider community.

With Tahu’s protest making headline news around the country, let’s hope that his actions inspire others to stand up against injustices, even if it takes courage and sacrifice.