(Reuters) – The Rugby Football Union (RFU) has banned a former council member from Twickenham after he made discriminatory comments to a volunteer at a Six Nations match last year, England’s rugby governing body said on Tuesday.
According to the RFU’s summary, Murphy is said to have used racist language with a volunteer while also making a similar comment later in the bar area during England’s win over Wales.
The RFU said the member, Alex Murphy, looked to resign during the investigation but added that his “Distinguished Membership” was not a position but a series of privileges granted by the council.
The privileges were removed indefinitely while he was also stripped of the Distinguished Membership.
“A simple removal of privileges for a period would not be an appropriate sanction as it does not reflect the gravity of the matter,” the RFU said in a statement.
“Additionally, such a sanction which simply allowed somebody to continue as a distinguished member, but without privileges, would not send an appropriate message as to how unacceptable such behaviour is from someone in a such a position.
“We agree with the RFU that the language was archaic and incredibly offensive and there can be no excuse for not knowing it was so offensive and for continuing to use it.”
The RFU said Murphy accepted the charge and the evidence, adding that he accepted his behaviour had breached the RFU’s code.
(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
