Istanbulwingman
kiwifarms.net
- Joined
- Jun 10, 2016
Perhaps a microcosm of the rugby community can be found by visiting the various chat sites on the internet. The English-language forums appear overwhelmingly dominated by British users, followed by New Zealanders and South Africans, but not too many Australians. Depending on the site, you might also come across the odd North American, Eastern European or Pacific Islander.
Aside from rugby, a great deal of discussion goes on about politics and other issues on these forums and from this can be gleaned a real insight into the prevalent mentality among the sport's fanatics.
- With regards to opening up elite competitions to other worthwhile playing nations, you are likely to encounter stubborn resistance.
- With regards to the issue of racial integration within the sport in South Africa you are likely to encounter blanket denial of the problem and considerable hostility toward the South African government.
- And with regards to international politics you are likely to encounter right-wing attitudes which are aggressively defensive of American interventions in the Middle East and elsewhere, as well as Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, for example.
In fact, my first experience on a rugby chat board was during Bush and Blair's invasion of Iraq. The consensus was overwhelmingly in support of the war, while photographs of torture victims were being paraded for comedy value. Dissenters were roundly savaged and even banned, at times, with moderators actively participating in the general abuse.
This, I soon discovered, was not confined to one forum, but rather widespread upon English-language rugby chat-sites. Moreover, in many cases the moderators were actually in liaison with one another, and private details about users, which could only have been gleaned through the sign-up process, were being leaked onto the forums, followed by libellous and otherwise unpleasant behaviour.
Whether a true reflection of the predominant community within the game, or just a bunch of wackos and misfits with too much time on their hands, it seems that rugbydom still has a problem, and this is not confined to the republic of South Africa. Far from it.
Rugby forums which defend racism - Planet Rugby, Tier 2 & 3 Forum, the v2 Forum and the Silver Fern (NZ).
Aside from rugby, a great deal of discussion goes on about politics and other issues on these forums and from this can be gleaned a real insight into the prevalent mentality among the sport's fanatics.
- With regards to opening up elite competitions to other worthwhile playing nations, you are likely to encounter stubborn resistance.
- With regards to the issue of racial integration within the sport in South Africa you are likely to encounter blanket denial of the problem and considerable hostility toward the South African government.
- And with regards to international politics you are likely to encounter right-wing attitudes which are aggressively defensive of American interventions in the Middle East and elsewhere, as well as Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories, for example.
In fact, my first experience on a rugby chat board was during Bush and Blair's invasion of Iraq. The consensus was overwhelmingly in support of the war, while photographs of torture victims were being paraded for comedy value. Dissenters were roundly savaged and even banned, at times, with moderators actively participating in the general abuse.
This, I soon discovered, was not confined to one forum, but rather widespread upon English-language rugby chat-sites. Moreover, in many cases the moderators were actually in liaison with one another, and private details about users, which could only have been gleaned through the sign-up process, were being leaked onto the forums, followed by libellous and otherwise unpleasant behaviour.
Whether a true reflection of the predominant community within the game, or just a bunch of wackos and misfits with too much time on their hands, it seems that rugbydom still has a problem, and this is not confined to the republic of South Africa. Far from it.
Rugby forums which defend racism - Planet Rugby, Tier 2 & 3 Forum, the v2 Forum and the Silver Fern (NZ).
