Eastern Suburbs Cleared of Breach of Rugby Australia Code of Conduct After Racial Abuse Allegations

Eastern Suburbs Rugby Club has been cleared of a breach of the Rugby Australia code of conduct following allegations of racial abuse towards West Harbour players during a trial match at Woollahra Oval. The Sydney Rugby Union held a code of conduct committee hearing on Wednesday night to address the issue.

The allegations stated that several Wests players were subjected to racial abuse by members of the Easts crowd during the first and second grade games of a pre-season fixture. Eastern Suburbs were issued with a breach notice by the SRU regarding alleged contraventions of the Rugby Australia code of conduct, which includes sections dealing with racial abuse and threatening behavior.

Despite five witness statements from Wests players supporting the claims of racial abuse, Easts denied that any of their supporters had made such comments. They submitted 11 statements from people in the area where the abuse allegedly came from, refuting the claims.

After a lengthy hearing, the code of conduct committee determined that racial abuse had occurred, but there was insufficient proof that it had come from Easts supporters as alleged. As a result, the breach was not proven, and no sanctions were imposed on Eastern Suburbs.

However, the committee did acknowledge the need for further measures to be taken by Eastern Suburbs, including education of players and supervision of spectators. General manager Peter Watkins stated that while no breach was proven, the club is required to undertake these additional measures in light of the allegations.

The incident serves as a reminder of the importance of maintaining respect and sportsmanship in all aspects of the game, both on and off the field.