Contested last Saturday, the derby of Federal 1 (3rd division) between Tarbes and Lannemezan turned so pugilist that the chain L'Équipe gave up broadcasting it on deferred Monday evening. Several fights broke out and no less than seven red cards were distributed. Marvin Woki, big brother of the third tricolor Cameron line, moved in the ranks of Tarbes.
As he revealed on the Actu Rugby site, the 23-year-old second line claims to have been the victim of insults and racist gestures by a Lannemezan player. His brother, still in the group for the Six Nations Tournament match in Wales on Saturday, denounced “a shame” on his Twitter account, adding: “We don't want that in our sport. We don't want that in our rugby. These are inappropriate and hurtful words for my family. Hoping that this player is punished. "
Serge Simon, the vice-president of the French Rugby Federation, supported him on the same social network and seems to want to take up the matter: “Be reassured Cameron Woki. Zero tolerance for any racist or discriminatory act or speech! In our rugby as in our Republic racism and intolerance have no place. We will assume our institutional role. »Reached on the phone, Marvin Woki, passed by Bobigny, Massy and the Stade Français, returns to the unfolding of the facts and his reflection to file a complaint.
Be reassured @cameronwoki. Zero tolerance for any racist or discriminatory act or speech! In our Rugby as in our Republic racism and intolerance have no place. We will assume our institutional role. @FranceRugby https://t.co/Rj2o4E6RvN
- Serge Simon (@DrSergeSIMON) February 20, 2020What exactly happened on Saturday?
MARVIN WOKI. We took a yellow card with a player from Lannemezan. As we were leaving the field, he started to insult me. He said to me, "Dirty black! Go home ! "
How did you react at the time?
I couldn't do anything because we were accompanied to the bench. I was surrounded by my teammates. A player on the bench saw the gestures he was making, me not. He ran his hand over his face several times, as if to say "Have you seen yourself?" » Compared to my skin color. It's serious ! I didn't realize right away. At the time, I had not seen his gestures, it was by seeing the video of the match.
How did you manage to keep calm?
There had already been a lot of boxes. If I had attacked him by getting into it, I would have been a loser in history.
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You did not meet him afterwards to explain yourself?
No. Neither at the edge of the field, nor at the post-match reception. And it's not worse. It was so tense that the players of two teams did not shake hands at the end of the match. The president of Tarbes told us to go directly to the locker room.
But you couldn't let that go ...
Exactly. These are things not to say. They must be denounced. I talk about it so that it does not happen again. It has to stop. It already happens too often in other sports, including soccer. It doesn't have to happen in rugby. At the time of the nervousness, one can say things which go beyond the thought, that can be understood. We forget and we keep playing. But there, it is not possible, we cannot accept it.
Is this the first time this has happened to you?
Yes. At this level, I didn't think it could happen. Sometimes you hear things in the stands, but on a pitch ... And it's not like I'm the only black man on the team.
What will you do with this case?
For the moment I do not know. I am considering filing a complaint, but I have not yet decided. I hesitate to go further and find myself in the courts. I will talk about it around me and I will advise according to what I am advised.
Your brother Cameron reacted on social networks ... Does this affect you?
Yes. But it's not just him, I received lots of messages of support, from other players in particular, from people I have known since childhood, people I have not even known, supporters. It concerns and affects us all, not just colored players.