The Offload: Benetton’s handling of alleged racist incident raises eyebrows

Benetton’s handling of Cherif Traorè’s allegations surrounding his receipt of a racist Secret Santa present from a team-mate has been heavily criticised.

The Italian international prop claims he was gifted a rotten banana as part of the club’s Christmas celebrations by one team-mate, while others nearby laughed at the exchange. The Instagram post in which he details the incident has since been deleted.

Benetton responded by calling a team meeting and later posting a video on social media. In the video Traorè is speaking to the camera and says he has received an apology and is willing to move on.

Of course we are in no position to dictate to a victim of such a heinous act what apology or retribution suffices for him individually, but the club’s decision to put Traorè front and centre as the public face of its response raises eyebrows.

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Ashton Hewitt, a winger for the Dragons, puts the criticism more succinctly: “It’s always the victims of racism that are expected to ‘rise above it’ – usually by people who don’t know what it feels like.”

That seems like what has happened here. On Thursday, the day after Traorè made his allegations, Benetton announced they had suspended an unnamed player over the incident. This was after two earlier statements failed to acknowledge any investigation or disciplinary action. Was the club initially happy to move on once Traorè accepted the apology?

On one hand, sending up the victim to be the public face of the club’s response, rather than a leadership figure from the organisation, seems to add an unnecessary burden on Traorè. On the other, one has to question if the player involved would have been suspended if not for outside pressure. Alongside Hewitt, Simon Zebo and Ellis Genge are other prominent players who have spoken out.

This won’t be the last we hear of the incident. The URC is now involved and demanded a full report from Benetton.

Women’s Celtic Challenge

The announcement of a new women’s Celtic Challenge consisting of sides from Ireland, Scotland and Wales was expected, but nonetheless casts light on the differing expectations of the teams involved.

The Irish side, the Combined Provinces XV, per the IRFU, is to include a number of contracted players as well as some from AIL clubs that will be in contention for selection for the Six Nations, due to take place four weeks after this tournament.

There is an aspect of future development at play, but with the side under the tutelage of Ireland head coach Greg McWilliams, it is as much of a fact-finding mission about players that can help in the short-term as it is about growing future internationals.

[ Combined Provinces XV to compete in Women’s Celtic Challenge ]

By contrast, the Welsh Development XV appears to be more concerned with developing new players for years ahead. “The squad will be made up of a mix of young, up and coming players and club players with eyes very much focused on developing players for the 2025 Rugby World Cup and beyond,” reads the press release announcing the competition.

As for the Scots, in their side The Thistles, they too seem likely to include a younger age profile though some contracted players will still be involved.

At this early stage, granted with no squads announced, it seems likely that the Irish Combined Provinces XV will contain more experienced internationals and thus be the early favourite.

Time-wasting clampdown

Mathieu Raynal’s infamous decision to penalise Australia’s Bernard Foley for time-wasting against the All Blacks during this year’s Rugby Championship could well repeat itself.

In the controversial incident, Raynal warned Foley multiple times to kick a penalty down the line with the clock running down while Australia were in the lead. When the outhalf did not oblige, the French referee awarded the All Blacks a scrum from which they secured the game-winning score.

Following World Rugby’s Shape of the Game conference in London in November, a number of initiatives are set to be introduced in a bid to cut down on dead time in matches.

Shot clocks for goal kickers and fewer TMO interactions are among the plans, but a further clampdown on time-wasting seems it could grab the most headlines given the recent history of such sanctions influencing the back-end of matches – the time when sides are most likely to be engaged in such skulduggery.

Though some new rules will be brought in, such as the one to limit water breaks, on the issue of time-wasting World Rugby could instead encourage referees to more strictly enforce the laws already in place, such as the five-second limit for a player to use the ball once told to do so.

What a clampdown on time-wasting will precisely look like may only come into focus during the 2023 Six Nations. What such an initiative does achieve, however, is to further vindicate Raynal’s decision. World Rugby saw his strong decision-making despite the game situation and has decided it wants all referees to follow suit.

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“Glos fans, I’m contractually obligated to be at the glos shop in the quays on Thursday. 5pm-6pm. Come do some xmas shopping and get stuff signed if you want.”

Gloucester prop Jamal Ford-Robinson gets into the Christmas spirit on Twitter.

Number: 2019

The last time fans were permitted to watch Munster take on Leinster at Christmas time at Thomond Park.