been a real issue in the nrl this year with andrew johns alleged comments to timana tahu almost seeing greg inglis leave RL. last night it happened again with a dragons player alleged to have used racist comments to a tigers player. in the old days what happened on the field stayed on the field. where does sledging of opponents stop? www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 15rt3.html

been a real issue in the nrl this year with andrew johns alleged comments to timana tahu almost seeing greg inglis leave RL. last night it happened again with a dragons player alleged to have used racist comments to a tigers player. in the old days what happened on the field stayed on the field. where does sledging of opponents stop? www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/leag ... 15rt3.html

It comes back to individuals entirely.

The game of rugby league has a long and proud history of integration when it comes to people of all races, colours and creeds.

is the term that was used for someone of meditaranian background considered that offensive a term? I hear it used all the time here in Oz and very rarely as an insulting derogatory term, it appears to have the same level of insult as "pom".

/pom seem to be one level whilst critising someones skin is another level.

personally i think they should just take what is said on the field and if someone upsets you get them on the field

dont go to the refs or the media

The word used has a different meaning in England to what it does in Australia.

In England it's a serious racial slur against black people. Where as in Australia it's used as a term for people of Greek decent and is considered no worse than Pom.

I remember when I was last in Australia they we're talking about a film out over there called The W*g Boy and I was amazed that anyone would release a film called that.

I suppose it's just a cultural difference about the meaning but players sledging others on national, racial, religious or sexuality grounds should have no place in Rugby League.

The term ' coconut ' is commonly used in oz and nz for people from the south sea islands , I hadn't heard it used over here until a coach recently arrived here

more than just greek, pretty much the mediterranean and western europe.

yeah ive heard that one quite a bit.

"Coconut" is up there with "Uncle Tom" as one of the most offensive insults someone can say to a black person as it insinuates you're brown on the outside but white on the inside.

But it isn't used for Maori or African decent , only south sea island

All I can think of is the Major in Fawlty Towers talking about going to see India at the Oval...

that is alright then

If he had called him a Fat C*nt (should that be his most significant feature) would we be reading this type of story?

Is W*G not an abbreviation for "western originated gentleman"-It was a common term when I was growing up in Manchester.

Sounds like a good game all the same and more importantly

No. And the fact that racism was common when and where you were growing up doesn't make it acceptable. hth.

More generally, tbh, this seems to be less a discussion of racism in rugby league and more a discussion of racism in Australian society.