Rugby and Taking the Knee.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

At last nights match all 15 Sale players happy to run on to the pitch wearing 'Rugby Against Racism' T Shirts but when it came to taking the knee only 4 did so. If more than 2/3 of a rugby team choose not to do so I would expect there to be a similar number of footballers with similar views. So why do NONE do so?

For the record I'd be happy to wear the T Shirt but not take the knee.

[Albionic68]

To be honest I don't really see the need for BLM/Kick it Out t-shirts. Whilst I appreciate they raise the profile of anti racism campaigns within the game, if a supporter or player has racist tendancies they won't feel any different for the sake of a t-shirt. Tokenistic symbolism in my honest opinion. If they want to change views they need to up their game and show they mean business.

If a supporter can get a life time ban for an embarrassing impersonation of a chimpanzee when in the stands, or in certain instances get the sack from their private employment, then players who make racist remarks should have their contracts terminated for gross misconduct and receive life time bans from the professional game. Be that white on black or black on white. As far as I'm concerned that stands equally for players who are found to have falsley accused others of racism.

Gross misconduct is gross misconduct and professional standards are professional standards. It's that simple. As for 'taking the knee', give me strength. Racism is a wider societal issue which needs to be addressed. None racist me expressing empathy with other races by kneeling down won't cure the thought processes of others though. Only education and time have any chance of achieving that. Again, tokenistic symbolism in an attempt to be seen be doing something whilst not actually doing anything material to address the real issue.

[mickd1961]

To be honest I don't really see the need for BLM/Kick it Out t-shirts. Whilst I appreciate they raise the profile of anti racism campaigns within the game, if a supporter or player has racist tendancies they won't feel any different for the sake of a t-shirt. Tokenistic symbolism in my honest opinion. If they want to change views they need to up their game and show they mean business.

If a supporter can get a life time ban for an embarrassing impersonation of a chimpanzee when in the stands, or in certain instances get the sack from their private employment, then players who make racist remarks should have their contracts terminated for gross misconduct and receive life time bans from the professional game. Be that white on black or black on white. As far as I'm concerned that stands equally for players who are found to have falsley accused others of racism.

Gross misconduct is gross misconduct and professional standards are professional standards. It's that simple. As for 'taking the knee', give me strength. Racism is a wider societal issue which needs to be addressed. None racist me expressing empathy with other races by kneeling down won't cure the thought processes of others though. Only education and time have any chance of achieving that. Again, tokenistic symbolism in an attempt to be seen be doing something whilst not actually doing anything material to address the real issue.

An excellent post.

I’m sick of this sort of stuff in truth and a lot of “bandwagon” jumping by nomarks wanting to raise their personal profile.

I had more respect for the Rugby players not taking the knee rather than the ones who did.

If I remember right there’s rules in most sports,including football,about what you are allowed to promote before,during and after a match?

Players have been banned for what they’ve had written on their tee shirt under their strip in the past.

Can you imagine the uproar if the reverse type of statements were being made......”Not all whites are racist” tee shirts would receive much vitriol.

What about the blacks walking around in black military type uniform over recent weeks.......if us whites walked around in white military style uniform we’d be called Klu Klux Klan or white suprematists so why is it okay for blacks to do this?

[phild]

How long is this kneeling b0ll0cks gonna go on for ffs

[SwedishBaggie]

To be honest I don't really see the need for BLM/Kick it Out t-shirts. Whilst I appreciate they raise the profile of anti racism campaigns within the game, if a supporter or player has racist tendancies they won't feel any different for the sake of a t-shirt. Tokenistic symbolism in my honest opinion. If they want to change views they need to up their game and show they mean business.

If a supporter can get a life time ban for an embarrassing impersonation of a chimpanzee when in the stands, or in certain instances get the sack from their private employment, then players who make racist remarks should have their contracts terminated for gross misconduct and receive life time bans from the professional game. Be that white on black or black on white. As far as I'm concerned that stands equally for players who are found to have falsley accused others of racism.

Gross misconduct is gross misconduct and professional standards are professional standards. It's that simple. As for 'taking the knee', give me strength. Racism is a wider societal issue which needs to be addressed. None racist me expressing empathy with other races by kneeling down won't cure the thought processes of others though. Only education and time have any chance of achieving that. Again, tokenistic symbolism in an attempt to be seen be doing something whilst not actually doing anything material to address the real issue.

Yes, excellent post, ”Like”.

[Albionic68]

How long is this kneeling b0ll0cks gonna go on for ffs

If your ball bag's long enough to get caught under your knee when kneeling I recommend trunks beneath your shorts Phil. Here to help as always saggy balls .

[phild]

If your ball bag's long enough to get caught under your knee when kneeling I recommend trunks beneath your shorts Phil. Here to help as always saggy balls .

[greyhound]

How long is this kneeling b0ll0cks gonna go on for ffs

Until they're sixty something...then,trust me,knees don't bend anymore

[BaggieSingh]

At last nights match all 15 Sale players happy to run on to the pitch wearing 'Rugby Against Racism' T Shirts but when it came to taking the knee only 4 did so. If more than 2/3 of a rugby team choose not to do so I would expect there to be a similar number of footballers with similar views. So why do NONE do so?

For the record I'd be happy to wear the T Shirt but not take the knee.

I am not 100% on this, but my understanding of the knee in the US is while the national anthem is playing, so actually I can see the reason for that as it is in a direct response to the allegiance to a country who is systematically not providing the rights to individuals due to their race so I get that

No-one at footie or rugby league games as far I know is being asked to stand for a national anthem

[westcountryvillain]

The kneeling during the US national anthem is a peaceful protest in a democracy where freedom of expression is allowed, it got the attention of the president and no-one should ever be compelled to do the bidding of the masses just because they happen to have a difference of opinion. People after all fought and died to protect these freedoms; over here we currently have people being labelled racist or gammon if they so much as dare to express a thought that challenges wokeness narratives.

This in turn creates a culture of fear of speaking out which is exactly the intent of groups such as Antifa and BLM, they are exactly what they claim to be protesting against. Twitter is an absolute vipers nest full of them, I feel there is a simmering resentment that will one day boil over and the authorities lack the numbers to deal with it.