Argentina’s Pablo Matera yesterday said that he was “deeply ashamed” as he was stripped of the captaincy and suspended along with two other players over messages he wrote on Twitter in 2011 to 2013.
Just weeks after leading the Pumas to their first win over the All Blacks, the Argentina Rugby Union “revoked” Matera’s captaincy and suspended him, along with lock Guido Petti and hooker Santiago Socino.
“The Argentina Rugby Union forcefully rejects the discriminatory and xenophobic comments published by members of the Pumas squad on social media,” a statement read.
Photo: EPA-EFE
In the tweets, since deleted, Matera spoke of “running over blacks” with his car and disparaged Bolivian and Paraguayan domestic workers.
Petti referred to his domestic worker as a “primate” and spoke of “blacks” stealing mobile phones and wallets.
Argentina have endured a turbulent year, including lockdowns and a COVID-19-pandemic-hit build-up to the Tri Nations, where they stunned New Zealand and drew with Australia before going down 38-0 to the All Blacks on Saturday last week.
The union said that although the posts were several years old and did “not represent the personal integrity that the three have shown during their current period with the Pumas,” action had to be taken.
“The Argentina Rugby Union condemns any instance of hate speech and considers it unacceptable that anyone expressing those views would represent our country,” the statement said.
Matera, who captained Argentina at last year’s World Cup and plays club rugby for top Paris side Stade Francais, apologized for his “barbarisms.”
“I’m sorry to everyone who was offended by the barbarisms I wrote,” the 27-year-old wrote on Instagram. “At that moment, I could never imagine who I would become. Today I have to take responsibility for what I said nine years ago.”
“I want to apologise as well to my team and to my family for what they are experiencing because of my actions,” he wrote.
The tweets resurfaced after criticism that the Pumas did not adequately pay tribute to late soccer icon Diego Maradona before Saturday’s defeat by New Zealand.
Matera defended the Pumas’ low-key response, which fans compared unfavorably to New Zealand’s laying-down of a “Maradona” All Blacks shirt before kick-off.
Argentina rugby said that it would be asking staff to propose candidates to replace Matera as captain.
In a statement, Petti said that the messages “don’t at all represent the person I am today... I made a mistake and I want to express my sincere apologies.”
Like Matera, Petti — who recently signed for Bordeaux — is a mainstay of the team, with 56 caps, including two World Cup campaigns.
Socino made his debut last year and has played four Tests.
The trio’s suspension leaves the Pumas reeling ahead of their Tri Nations clash against the Wallabies on Saturday.
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was