Maro Itoje has revealed his admiration for the conduct of England footballers Raheem Sterling and Danny Rose in the face of racial abuse from fans.
The pair were subjected to discriminatory chanting during last month’s 5-1 Euro 2020 qualifying win in Montenegro to ignite debate over how best to tackle the issue amid further high-profile incidents, including one involving Moise Kean of Juventus.
England and Saracens lock Itoje, who will start Saturday’s Heineken Champions Cup semi-final against Munster at Allianz Park, has called for decisive action to be taken.
“I feel for those players. They didn’t cause any harm to anyone and didn’t aggravate anyone,” said Itoje, who revealed he has never been racially abused in his sport.
“To be abused purely because of the colour of your skin is absolutely shocking. It’s horrible and they’ve all handled themselves in a very dignified, very elegant way.
“They’re a credit to themselves and they’re a credit to the whole of the black community. All of us in different sports are extremely proud because what they’re experiencing is unacceptable.
“I think the toughest penalties need to be dropped down on those football associations and for the clubs whose fans give racial abuse, they should have fans banned from the stadium.
“We should have empty stadiums. That’s not going to be nice to see, but I believe that racial abuse shouldn’t be tolerated and we shouldn’t make excuses for it.
“Even though it’s a minority, if the minority want to spoil it for everyone then that’s their choice, they shouldn’t be allowed in the vicinity.”
Itoje insists rugby must remain vigilant over racism, but the experience of attending Arsenal’s 2-0 Carabao Cup defeat by Tottenham in December has demonstrated to him that the sports unfold in different landscapes.
“People are so passionate about football that maybe it brings out their innate tribal beliefs about certain people and they say whatever they can to either hurt or insult that person,” he said.
“Unfortunately I would not doubt that a lot of those people actually have racist views. Football has highlighted that issue. I don’t think it is just related to football, you can probably see that in other walks of life.
“I actually question whether a lot of football fans actually go to football to watch their team play.
“At the Emirates Stadium I was shocked by the amount of abuse, the amount of ridicule, the amount of horrible language used.”
Itoje will spearhead Saracens’ forward assault against Munster next weekend in a repeat of the European semi-final in Dublin two years ago, which the English champions won 26-10.
“The characteristics of Munster haven’t changed for years. They fight for everything, they are a top-four team and have got lots of talented players,” Itoje said.
“We also have a very good team and we also have a very good record in knock-out rugby, so we aren’t going to be afraid of anything. But we know we are going to have to bring our A game.”
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here