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Rugby League: society writ small

By John Passant - posted Friday, 18 June 2010


Last year Channel 9 sacked Andrew Johns’ brother, Matty Johns, after it became clear he and a number of other Cronulla players had had sex with a young woman in New Zealand. She claimed she did not consent. He claimed she did.

A few months later Channel 7 swooped and now Matty Johns heads a very successful football show for them. The woman’s life is in ruins.

So obviously in the cut throat footy ratings duel between Channels 9 and 7, and in the positioning for future rights to televise games, Channel 9 doesn’t want to cut Andrew loose for fear he might end up with his brother on their competitor’s show. That’s real principle.

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But there is something else deeply disturbing about all of this. Andrew Johns’ referred to Inglis not only by the colour of his skin but by reference to a woman’s vagina. According to Inga Miscio, “contained in that one [word] is a whole history of misogyny”. Yet where is the outrage about Johns’ sexism, his use of a derogatory word drawn from female genitalia, to describe another human being? There is none.

Would it have been OK for Johns just to refer to Inglis by an incredibly offensive and derogatory term for female genitalia? Apparently, given the lack of reaction to the use of the word. The outrage against the racism is laudable. But the lack of any questioning of the sexism, let alone any understanding that the term is sexist, indicates that sexism is as ingrained into our society as racism.

Rugby League has a Women in League Program, in part as a response to the outrage women felt about Matty Johns and the gang bang in New Zealand. Here’s what the NRL website says about it:

Rugby League’s Women in League program is about recognising and rewarding the important role that women play in the game.

Women and girls are an important part of the rugby league family. From players, to coaches, match officials, volunteers, first aid officers, managers and much more, women and girls play an integral role to the code in this country.

But not important enough apparently to stop the sort of denigration of women Johns unleashed the other night, a denigration apparently so ingrained that it goes unremarked by any league official.

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It’s not just up to Tahu and other Indigenous and Islander players to take a stand. It’s time for all of us, and the players, the women of league and other supporters, to reclaim our game. If we can't then we need to think about walking away from a game totally mired in racism and sexism.

But even more importantly, those within Rugby League who want to fight sexism and racism must understand that these cancers pervade capitalist society. Your fight is our fight. Come join with us in the struggle against racism and sexism in society generally.

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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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