Known cases of racism in Irish rugby in recent years are also rare, thankfully, an exception being the day when Ulster hosted Racing 92 in the Heineken Champions Cup at the Kingspan Stadium. Countless tours were undertaken there by New Zealand, France and Ireland, among others, while also accepting tours by the Springboks. Rugby tours gave them respectability and the boycotts hurt them more than anything elseRugby, along with cricket, were the sports that legitimised South Africa’s racist regime. The union, which now regards itself as a non-political organisation, could also support Sari (Sport Against Racism Ireland) in calling on the Minister for Justice to implement hate crime legislation. There’s lots that can be done and one thing is for sure, rugby’s history with South Africa’s apartheid regime gives lie to the notion that sport and politics don’t mix.

Source: The Irish Times June 23, 2020 06:00 UTC