Different responses to ‘Rugby against Racism’ campaign

Wasps players took a knee, while the Northampton Saints stood in a circle with shirts highlighting ‘Rugby Against Racism’, prior to kick-off of the final English Premiership match at the weekend.

The Premiership resumed this past weekend, with the various teams all demonstrating various interpretations of the ‘Rugby Against Racism’ campaign.

Last week, the Sale Sharks – in one example – announced the squad would ‘stand together in the face of all discrimination’ before kick-off.

All the players wore ‘Rugby Against Racism’ T-shirts, but only four of the starting XV – Englishmen Marland Yarde, Tom Curry, Simon Hammersley and Sam Hill – chose to kneel prior to kick off against Harlequins on Friday. This action has become a powerful symbol related to the Black Lives Matter movement.

However, 11 players in the starting lineup chose to remain standing, including eight South African players. Elsewhere, Gloucester’s Ruan Ackermann and the Worcester Warriors’ Francois Venter also opted to stay standing.

Before kick off of the final game of the weekend, the Northampton Saints stated ‘We Stand Together’ while sharing this picture.

Meanwhile, the Wasps highlighted how they had taken a knee before kick-off.

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