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Rugby League: society writ small

By John Passant - posted Friday, 18 June 2010


How could it be that in game where more than 30 per cent of players are of Pacific Islander descent and 11 per cent are Indigenous that racism could be so endemic?

First, it is not the players who have any power in the game. They are the playthings of big media interests like Channel 9 and Fox Sports (part owned by News Limited). The concern of these companies is money, not equality or justice.

Second, Islanders and Aborigines, especially, are denied access to any real positions of power in our white ruling class run society. They are at the bottom of the economic and political ladder. Indeed how many Aboriginal or Islander people run the game?

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Why didn't the League respond immediately? Why doesn't it clean up its tawdry reputation with a major campaign against racism?

For many boys from Indigenous or Islander backgrounds rugby league is about the only way to escape a life of menial jobs, poor housing, poor education and poor health, all results imposed on them by the structures of capitalism.

Third, such racist and sexist words are common place among large sections of the working class. They represent the degeneration of capitalist society. They are an expression of powerlessness and alienation.

By denigrating others we somehow think we empower ourselves.

Fourth, the very culture of rugby league (and I would guess all other male professional team sports) is to see women and the powerless as inferior to the all conquering man hero, mostly a white male hero or the image of a white man at that.

Tahu is leading the fightback. Other Indigenous and Islander players must join him to help stamp out this cancer on our society.

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But it goes further than that. Racism is an integral part of a capitalist society like Australia. The Rudd Labor Government is spreading racism and reinforcing its acceptability with its demonisation of refugees and its intervention in the Northern Territory targeting Aborigines. The fight against racism in Rugby League must be the fight against racism in society, and against Labor’s racist policies on Aborigines and refugees.

Aboriginal and Islander footballers, indeed all footballers, could help the fight against racism in rugby league by joining the demonstrations for refugees around Australia this weekend.

Meanwhile, Channel 9 employs Johns as a sideline commentator (and not a very good one.) They are standing by their man. This is not surprising.

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An earlier version of this article was first published in En Passant with John Passant on June 14, 2010.



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About the Author

John Passant is a Canberra writer (www.enpassant.com.au) and member of Socialist Alternative.

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